12,000-Year-Old Natufian Village Unearthed in Jordan Valley Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a prehistoric village in the Jordan Valley dating from around 12,000 years ago, The Hebrew University revealed on Wednesday. The site, named NEG II, is located in Wadi Ein-Gev, west of the Sea of Galilee and south of the Golan Heights town …

Cannabis originated in China, genetic analysis reveals People feeling the effects of marijuana are prone to what scientists call “divergent thinking,” the process of searching for solutions to a loosely defined question. Here is one to ponder: Where did the weed come from? No, not where it was bought, but where and when was the …

In a Siberian cave, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal ‘Swiss Army Knife’ was discovered Experiment shows multi-purpose tool can still be used for butchering: it highlights the skills of these extinct early humans. This week has seen the revelation from an international study that Neanderthals twice invaded cold Siberia, around 120,000 and 60,000 years ago. Scientists have …

Perfectly preserved lion cubs that died 44,000 years ago ‘after being abandoned by mum’ found in Siberia ‘Male siblings born 44,000 years ago’ found ten metres apart in Yakutia but the truth is rather different – amid hopes to bring species back to life. The pair of cubs were believed to be siblings both born …

Magnificent 2,000-year-old ‘city hall’ unearthed near Western Wall in Jerusalem During ongoing excavations beneath Jerusalem’s Old City, researchers discovered what may have been a 2,000-year-old city council structure – just a few hundred meters from its modern counterpart. The grand structure is a new feature on the revamped Western Wall Tunnels Tour, which allows tourists …

Cryptic 2,700-year-old pig skeleton found in Jerusalem’s City of David Israeli archaeologists have unearthed the complete skeleton of a piglet in a place and time where you wouldn’t expect to find pork remains: a Jerusalem home dating to the First Temple period. The 2,700-year-old porcine remains were found crushed by large pottery vessels and a …

1,600-Year-Old Sheep Mummy from Iran Analyzed A team of geneticists and archaeologists from Ireland, France, Iran, Germany, and Austria has sequenced the DNA from a 1,600-year-old sheep mummy from an ancient Iranian salt mine, Chehrabad. This remarkable specimen has revealed sheep husbandry practices of the ancient Near East and underlined how natural mummification can affect …

The 4,000-year-old city discovered in Iraq In Iraqi Kurdistan, a team of French archaeologists discovered the ruins of a long-lost ancient city. The ancient city of Kunara, in the Zagros mountains, was discovered by archaeologists over the course of six excavations between 2012 and 2018. Previously, experts had been prevented from exploring the site, near …

3,000-Year-Old Inscription Found in Israel An inscription from the time of the Biblical Judges, linked to the Book of Judges, has been discovered for the first time at Khirbat er-Ra‘i, near Kiryat Gat, during excavations. The rare inscription bears the name ‘Jerubbaal’ in alphabetic script and dates from around 1,100 BCE. It was written in …