“Archaeologists working in Upper Egypt have uncovered around 3,000 ostraca pottery fragments during the current excavation season … [which] raises the total number of ostraca found at the site to approximately 43,000…, making it the largest known collection of inscribed pottery fragments from a single archaeological location in Egypt.”

“Ancient Egyptian craftspeople used a corrective fluid similar to modern-day Wite-Out to fix their mistakes, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum.”

An underground Roman-era vaulted water channel has been discovered in northeastern Turkey.

For the first time in a millennium, water is now flowing below the now-reconstructed monumental arches of the Asopos Bridge at Laodicea.

“A striking, large-scale marble lion, with its detailed mane and head turned in a noble pose, has emerged from the earth at Philippi.”

“Greece’s archaeological sites generated higher revenue in the summer of 2025, even as visitor numbers declined.”

“Archaeologists in Rome have uncovered a well-preserved necropolis decorated with Winged Victory figures.”

A small graffito recently discovered in a theater corridor at Pompeii offers a rare glimpse into how ordinary people experienced the spectacle of the games.”

“The first permanent exhibition of Pompeii’s historic casts is now on display in Italy, paying homage to those who were brutally killed after being engulfed by an inundation of volcanic ash.”

“Here are 10 practical and creative ways to spark a child’s interest in archaeology — including how social media can play a positive role.”

Michael Foust interviews Chris McKinny about the upcoming docudrama Legends of the Lost Ark.

Hybrid lecture at the Albright on March 25: “From Kaiser to AI: Current Projects of the DEI Jerusalem,” by Katja Soennecken

Jack Lundbom, author of the three-volume commentary on Jeremiah in the Anchor Bible series, died last month.

New release: The Jesus Discoveries: 10 Historic Finds That Bring Us Face-to-Face with Jesus, by Jeremiah Johnston (Bethany House, $16). The ten include the Shroud of Turin, the James Ossuary, and the Palatine Graffito.

Carl Rasmussen’s outstanding Zondervan Atlas of the Bible for Kindle is on sale at the moment for $3.99 (reg. $25).

Season 1 of The Sacred Thread will begin releasing on March 24 on Angel Studios. “Seven episodes unpacking each phrase of the prayer Jesus taught — expanding on the feature film with deeper scholarship, new stories, and breathtaking cinematography.”

HT: Agade, Keith Keyser, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

The Israel Museum has relocated some of its significant archaeological artifacts to a secure location. A few photos are posted on Facebook.

Excavations at Emesa (modern Homs, Syria) “reveal the slow transformation of a powerful pagan city into a Christian and then Muslim one.”

Margreet L. Steiner explains why the Assyrian presence in the Levant in the 9th-7th centuries BC left its mark not in material culture but in economic transformation.

Carl Rasmussen shares a link to his recent online seminar on “The Early Church’s Encounter with the Roman Imperial Cult.” His post includes timestamps for each topic.

Hybrid lecture on March 11 at Harvard: “The Future of the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife,” by Rune Nyord (in-person registration; online registration)

ASOR webinar on March 11: “Anatolian Futures: Archaeologies of Anatolia within the Larger Mediterranean,” by Müge Durusu-Tanrıöver

New release: Sex and Sexuality in the Ancient Near East, by Stephanie Lynn Budin (Cambridge Elements; open access through March 10)

New release: For Those Who Sleep in the Dust: Essays on Archaeology and the Bible, by William G. Dever (SBL Press, $56)

HT: Agade, Arne Halbakken, Charles Savelle, Alexander Schick

Rock carvings found in southwestern Sinai depict a killing scene and a boat.

“A US-led research team has verified the first Mediterranean mass grave of the world’s earliest recorded pandemic, providing stark new details about the plague of Justinian that killed millions of people in the Byzantine empire between the sixth and eighth centuries.”

The musty aroma that comes from Egyptian mummies is “a complex mix of volatile organic compounds,” and recent research has identified 81 of these VOCs.

Turkish Archaeological News summarizes the top stories for the month of January.

The Times of San Diego writes about the career of archaeologist Tom Levy.

Luke Lukert profiles Bobby Duke, the chief curatorial officer of the Museum of the Bible.

New release: Karkemish of the Hittites on the Euphrates: New Discoveries and New Acquisitions, edited by N. Marchetti (OrientLab; €18, open-access)

Lee M. Jefferson explains why Michelangelo’s Moses has horns.

HT: Agade, Keith Keyser

“Archaeologists believe they have identified the remains of a Roman basilica in Fanum Fortunae built by the late first-century BCE architect Vitruvius.”

“Archaeologists in northern Turkey say they have uncovered the long-lost Temple of Kubaba, a 2,600-year-old religious complex that is reshaping understanding of belief and ritual in ancient Anatolia.”

“Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Lystra in central Türkiye have restored a rare medieval bronze reliquary cross discovered intact and permanently sealed.”

“A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in eastern Türkiye is reshaping historians’ understanding of the ancient Kingdom of Sophene, a little-known Hellenistic-era polity that once stood at the crossroads of Anatolian, Iranian, and Greek civilizations.”

Newly published texts shed light on Nebuchadnezzar’s accomplishments.

Zoom lecture on Feb 3, 10am Eastern: “200 Years of Archaeology in Türkiye,” by Tuba Ökse. The recording will be posted a few days later on the ARWA channel.

New release: Materials from Karkemish I. The Numismatic Finds from the 2011-2024 Excavations, by Aliya Erol (OrientLab Series Maior 9; 35 euros; open access)

HT: Agade, Paleojudaica

“Archaeologists working at the site of Abusir, one of the main burial grounds of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, have uncovered an extensive temple complex dedicated to the solar deity.”

A large, well-preserved mosaic from the 4th-6th centuries AD was discovered in Antakya (biblical Antioch) during rebuilding work following the 2023 earthquake.

Workers in Rome are using lasers and spending $1 million to clean the 154-foot-tall Column of Marcus Aurelius.

Hurriyet Daily News surveys Turkey’s top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2025. Daily Sabah gives a month-by-month review of top finds.

Turkish Archaeological News surveys the major stories in the month of December, including a new maritime exhibition area opening at the Troy Museum and some rare evidence of Phoenicians in ancient Anatolia.

National Geographic writes about 2025 archaeological discoveries related to the Bible (subscription required)

PaleoJudaica has posted its top ten list for 2025.

Bryan Windle identifies the top three reports in biblical archaeology for the month of December.

Daniel Justel writes about children in the ancient (and present-day) Near East. “He recently edited a special edition volume for the journal Childhood in the Past, entitled Children in the Ancient Near East.”

“Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has made public a rare historical intelligence document concerning Thomas Edward Lawrence, widely known in the West as ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ shedding light on how British intelligence activities were perceived and monitored in the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.”

Friends of ASOR webinar on Jan 21: “Experiencing Khirbet et-Tannur: The Story of a Nabatean Temple from the Second through 21st Century,” by Sarah Wenner

Owen Jarus identifies six ancient cities archaeologists have never found, including Akkad and Al-Yahudu.

Citizens and tourists are invited to visit the Jerash Archaeological Museum, the oldest in the country of Jordan.

The palace of Pella, where Alexander the Great was born and grew up, is now open to visitors.

Tehran Times has a short illustrated article on the ancient city of Susa.

“Archaeological artifacts should not be for sale in thrift shops. But putting them in a museum is harder than it sounds.”

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Arne Halbakken, Explorator

Italian scientists have confirmed a large underground complex beneath the Giza Plateau using satellite data.

Turkish Archaeological News rounds up the top stories for the month of November.

Reporters were invited to view renovation work in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Some areas will reopen in 2027.

The Times of Israel interviewed Thomas Levy in connection with the release of his graphic autobiography.

Ben and Ann Witherington are hosting a tour of Egypt in early 2027.

Appian Way has produced a 7-minute video explaining why the Madaba Map is so important for biblical studies.

New release: Jehu’s Tribute: What Can Biblical Studies Offer Assyriology?, edited by Jeffrey L. Cooley and Rannfrid I. Lasine Thelle (Eisenbrauns, $100, or cheaper at Amazon)

New release: Narrating Archaeological Sites and Places: Fifty Years of the Madaba Plains Project at Tall Hisban, Tall al-‘Umayri, and Tall Jalul, edited by Douglas R. Clark, Øystein S. LaBianca and Randall W. Younker (Equinox, $120; Amazon)

New release: Past Perfect? The Archaeologies of Mandate Palestine 1917-1948, by Raz Kletter (90 euros)

The Biblical Archaeology Society is offering several classes in 2026:

A seminar of Ancient and Medieval Middle East (AMME) at the University of Helsinki will feature two talks on ancient waste:

  • “Trash and Treasure: Con-textualizing Trash at Oxyrhynchus,” by AnneMarie Luijendijk (Zoom)
  • “Down the Drain: What Trash Reveals about Bathing Culture in Late Antique Jerash,” by Louise Blanke (Zoom)

The Ancient Near East Today lists the top archaeological discoveries of the year.

Archaeology Magazine identifies the top 10 discoveries of 2025.

The AP posts drone footage of the Colosseum of Rome.

HT: Agade, Ted Weis, Alexander Schick, Explorator