Antiquities

Oct. 7 Gaza border shelters designated antiquities as safeguard against 'clean up' projects

Section 1 of the Antiquities Law (1978) grants the relevant minister the authority to declare locations or artifacts an "antiquity" should it have a distinct national historical value.

A view of a roadside bomb shelter where dozens of festivalgoers were murdered during the October 7 massacre, near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, October 7, 2026.
Rendering of the Golan Museum in Katzrin.

Antiques, AI, and a planetarium: The new attraction coming to the Golan

Two ancient tombs and a figurine discovered at the Sheikh Soby site in the Bahariya Oasis, Egypt, August 28, 2026.

Egypt unearths three previously unknown tombs from different eras at Bahariya Oasis cemetery

Photo depicts a grave made of burnt clay found in Mosul Dam that is exhibited in Zakho Museum in Zakho, Kurdistan Region of Iraq on June 2, 2025.

Seven ancient Parthian tombs unearthed in Iraq’s Kurdistan region amid survey of 6,500 sites


Gov’t approves 250m. NIS plan to preserve West Bank heritage sites ahead of Six-Day War anniversary

Additionally, a multi-year plan worth tens of millions of shekel will be put in motion to upgrade existing infrastructure and hopefully turn the sites into major tourist destinations.

View of the ancient archeological site of Sebastia, near the West Bank city of Nablus, May 12, 2025.

Heritage Minister taps INEXTG CEO Esther Shreiber for next IAA director, first woman in role

Her appointment will soon be submitted for approval by the IAA’s council and the government. 

INEXTG CEO Esti Shrieber, tapped to be the next director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

Turkish authorities reportedly seize gold Hebrew manuscript inscribed on python skin

Per Turkey Today, a foreign national, identified only as A.E., suspected of attempting to sell the manuscript on the black market, was detained by local units of Turkey’s Gendarmerie General Command.

The Hebrew manuscript inscribed in gold on python skin, displayed alongside its copper casing, at the Gaziantep Provincial Gendarmerie Command, April 24, 2026.

Stone stele depicting Roman emperor, Egyptian gods found near Karnak temple site in Luxor

The stele was discovered during the three-year-long restoration efforts of a gateway from the time of Ramesses III in Karnak.

Stele depicting Roman Emperor Tiberius standing before the Theban triad of the ancient Egyptian gods found near the Karnak Temple Complex, March 30, 2026.

Palestinian Authority accelerates heritage campaign as West Bank tensions rise

From museum reopenings to bids for UNESCO recognition, the Palestinian Authority is prioritizing archaeology and identity 

Palestinian children play in a Roman-era fountain in Battir, a village in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem.

Police forced into shelter with two suspects arrested for antiquities theft amid sirens

The suspects excavation equipment has been seized, and the investigation is ongoing.

The destruction caused by the looters at the Horvat Hermesh antiquities site in northern Israel, March 17, 2026.

Archaeologists pinpoint Alexander the Great's lost Alexandria on the Tigris in Iraq

Despite the city’s exposure to repeated floods over centuries, the preservation of its walls and urban fabric is described as unexpectedly good.

 Greece plans world's first Alexander the Great theme park near Amphipolis.

University of Haifa student discovers 12th century Crusader sword off of Israel’s northern coast

The sword was eventually transferred to Elisha Medical Center in Haifa for an advanced CT scan to examine the blade’s condition without causing it futher harm.

Ancient Crusader sword, dated to the 12th century CE, discovered off of Israel's Dor Beach in northern Israel, February 22, 2026.

'Nothing quite like it': UK Treasure Act names Roman carriage ornament Essex's first 'treasure'

According to the Act, archaeological finds can be given the status of Treasure if they are deemed to be of historical, archaeological, or cultural importance.

Rare Roman vehicle ornament depicting a panther with its paws atop a bearded man’s severed head discovered in Essex in 2024.

Netherlands returns 3,500-year-old sculpture stolen from Egypt during Arab Spring

Egypt requested that the artifact be returned under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which both it and the Netherlands are beholden to. 

Dutch Education, Culture and Science Gouke Moes and the Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands during the formal handover ceremony of the stolen scultpure at the Egyptian embassy in the Hague, February 8, 2026.