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Massive Hellenistic-Era Cemetery Unearthed as Mosul Dam Water Levels Drop
Archaeologists have uncovered at least 40 graves in a newly revealed cemetery near Iraq’s largest dam. The site, believed to date back thousands of years, emerged following a significant drop in the Mosul Dam’s water level. “We discovered a main city along with a cemetery. This is the first time graves of this type and…
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2,000-Year-Old Roman Eagle Stele Unearthed in Manbij, Syria
Manbij, Syria — Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkable Roman-era stele carved from black basalt in Manbij, east of Aleppo. The funerary monument, estimated to be around 2,000 years old, features a detailed eagle clutching a wreath and inscriptions in Greek, providing rare insight into the region’s Roman and Hellenistic past. The stele was first discovered…
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World’s Smallest Ancient Inscription Discovered in Iran
A 1,600-Year-Old Sassanid Text No Bigger Than a Matchbox In the rocky hills of Marvdasht, Fars province, archaeologists have uncovered what is believed to be the smallest ancient inscription ever recorded. Measuring just 4 by 7 centimeters—roughly the size of a matchbox—the text was carved with a tool only half a millimeter thick. The discovery…
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Ugarit: The Ancient City That Gave Humanity Its First Alphabet and Musical Notation
On the northern edge of Latakia, the windswept hill of Ras Shamra hides a city that changed the course of human history: Ugarit. Flourishing during the 15th and 14th centuries BCE, this ancient city was more than the capital of a kingdom — it was a hub where languages converged, trade flourished, and knowledge was…
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2,150-Year-Old Hellenistic Weight Seized in Jerusalem
Jerusalem – A rare lead weight dating back more than two millennia has been seized in an operation carried out by the Theft Prevention Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The artifact, remarkably well preserved, bears the name of an official responsible for regulating trade during the Hellenistic period. The inscription reads: “Heliodoros, son of…
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Arabia’s Ancient Rock Art: Human and Animal Figures Etched in the Desert
For thousands of years, the deserts of Arabia have served as vast canvases where people carved and painted images of daily life, beliefs, and encounters with animals. These rock engravings—depicting both human figures and creatures such as camels, horses, and goats—stand as silent witnesses of a deep cultural past. Yet, for archaeologists, the greatest challenge…
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Rare Late Sasanian Pahlavi Inscription Discovered at Naqsh-e Rostam Sheds Light on Zoroastrian Burial Practices
A newly uncovered funerary inscription, engraved horizontally in Pahlavi script on a rock face beside an ossuary, has been found at the renowned necropolis of Naqsh-e Rostam in Fars Province, Iran. Preliminary studies date the inscription to the late Sasanian era, offering fresh insights into Zoroastrian death rituals of the time. Historian Abolhassan Atabaki told…
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Traces of Millennia: Tombs, Ancient Road, and 50,000-Year-Old Artifacts Unearthed in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Quraynah
Located about 330 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, the archaeological site of Al-Quraynah has yielded remarkable finds that shed light on the prehistoric landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula. According to the Saudi Heritage Commission, excavations revealed circular tomb-like structures dating to the third and second millennia BC, an ancient road leading toward the capital, and a…
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An elite tomb belonging to a young woman dating back 3,000 years has been discovered in North Khorasan
Archaeologists have made an extraordinary archaeological discovery in the rugged terrain of Northern Khorasan. Excavations in the Tepe Chalow region have uncovered the magnificent tomb of an 18-year-old woman estimated to be more than 3,000 years old. The tomb, which contained gold jewelry, bronze artifacts, and rare stone objects imported from distant lands, offers rare…