Archaeology
News and features about archaeological finds linking stories from the Torah and Prophets, or other historical events to the State of Israel
Discovery of a new population challenges the prevailing idea that Neanderthals originated from Europe and shows that two types of hominids coexisted.
“Even today, eggs rarely survive for long in supermarket cartons,” says Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologist Alla Nagorsky, excavation director at the site in Yavne where the rare find was discovered.
Usually associated with Christians and Gnostics, the fact that the amulet was found near an ancient synagogue in the Galilee suggests the Jews of that period also used them, say researchers.
“It is likely that the two halves of the lamps were created in the same artisan house and may even have served as a pair to one complete piece,” says Hungarian archaeologist Gabor Lassanyi.
The lamp, discovered in the foundations of an ancient building, is believed to have been a ritual offering • Only a few objects of this kind have ever been found, and never before in Jerusalem, say researchers.
The flooring, which dates back to the Byzantine period, was discovered during large-scale excavations in Yavne, ahead of the development of a new neighborhood in the city.
Julie Dunne, a biomolecular archaeologist at Bristol University, said that 171 animal bones were found—136 were from poultry, and there were no bones from non-kosher food, such as pigs or shellfish.
It’s the first time in almost 60 years that an archaeological excavation has uncovered fragments of a biblical scroll.
The figurine is an amulet that was believed to protect children or increase fertility, according to archaeologists, who say only one other exists in the National Treasures collection.
With its palaces hanging off a cliff in the desert to knights’ halls and imposing castles, Israel is the place to imagine yourself in shining armor.
Each of the 2,000-year-old stones has an “identity card” allowing conservators to track their individual condition.
The pair of decorated stone coffins, which researchers believe likely belonged to “high-status” individuals, were uncovered years ago but then forgotten, say veteran park workers.
