Egypt discovers ancient port and writings

Egypt's state minister of antiquities says a Franco-Egyptian exploration team has discovered a Red Sea port dating back about 4,500 years to Great Pyramid builder King Cheops of the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom.

Turkey renovating Georgian church

Authorities are renovating the Ishkhani Georgian church in northeastern Turkey in a bid to boost tourism numbers in the Black Sea province, the Artvin provincial head of culture has said.

Hittite site to be turned into 'tourist attraction '

Turkey’s well-known ancient site of Alacahöyük, which currently draws around 50,000 visitors a year, in the Central Anatolian province of Çorum, is set to be given new facilities reflecting traces of the Hittite civilization.

Sifting the Dust for Treasures While Trouble Swirls

The Great Staircase, part of the archaeological dig at Karkemish, an ancient city on the banks of the  Euphrates and on the border between Syria and Turkey.

Rare Artifact Stolen from Tel Shiloh Archaeological Site

The artifact was stolen from the location where it had been found, still lodged in the wall.
By: Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency


A recently uncovered rare archaeological artifact was stolen this week from the Tel Shiloh archaeological site.

Layard at Nimrud

July 27, 2012 by Neil Faulkner Filed Under: Issue 54 , Great Discoveries , Iraq

The dig
Austen Henry Layard was a lawyer, traveller, diplomat, and amateur archaeologist in the antiquarian tradition. On an overland ride from England to Ceylon in 1839, he became fascinated by the newly emerging archaeology of Mesopotomia (in modern Iraq).

Syrian Obsidian Discovery Opens New Chapter in Middle Eastern Studies

Sep. 4, 2012 — An archaeologist from the University of Sheffield has revealed the origin and trading routes of razor-sharp stone tools 4,200 years ago in Syria.

Ancient sites and cultural heritage are under threat in Syria due to the current conflict. An interdisciplinary research team hopes this new discovery, which has major implications for understanding the world's first empire, will help to highlight the importance of protecting Syria's heritage.

Archaeologists Uncover Land Before Wheel; Site Untouched for 6,000 Years

Apr. 6, 2010 — A team of archaeologists from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, along with a team of Syrian colleagues, is uncovering new clues about a prehistoric society that formed the foundation of urban life in the Middle East prior to invention of the wheel.