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The worlds of archaeology and the Bible move fast. Check back regularly for the latest news.

Home of Tutankhamun’s Discoverer Becomes Museum

The Egyptian home of Howard Carter, the archaeologist who found the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in the early 20th century, has been converted into a museum. Hired by Lord Carnarvon, Carter searched and studied the boy pharaoh’s resting place for almost a decade after discovering it in 1922. The museum will display a number of the tools Carter used to excavate the tomb as well as pictures documenting the historic event.

BBC News reports on the transformation of Howard Carter’s Egyptian home into a museum.

Cache of Artifacts Discovered in Ancient Thracian Tomb

A 1st-2nd-century A.D. tomb of a Thracian aristocrat has been uncovered by a team of Bulgarian archaeologists just outside the central Bulgarian village of Karanovo. Artifacts found within the 12-square-meter tomb include a hoard of silver objects, a chariot and pieces of a shield. A structure will be built over the site allowing the excavation to continue into the winter season. Archaeologist and team leader Veselin Ignatov expects to find many more interesting and valuable artifacts during his upcoming research.

Novinite.com reports on the ancient Thracian tomb discovered in Bulgaria.

Ancient Assyrian Cuneiform Tablet Discovered in Turkey

Ruins of an ancient Assyrian palace and a 3,000-year-old cuneiform tablet were found at the Ziyaret Tepe site along the Tigris River in Turkey. The ancient tablet represents a very rare find in Turkey. It is inscribed with the 144 female names, none of which are Assyrian. This specific site is identified as Tushan, the capital of the Assyrian Empire from 800 to 600 B.C.

The project is led by Dr. Timothy Matney of the University of Akron in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, the University of Mainz in Germany and Marmara University in Turkey. Researchers believe that this tablet demonstrates the power and reach of the Assyrian empire, and hypothesize that for their names to be recorded in cuneiform records, women of distant conquered lands must have been brought to the capital to work.

The Buchtelite reports on the discovery of an ancient cuneiform tablet in Turkey.

Heirs to Ancient Phoenicia Form League

The International Committee for the Safeguarding of Tyre has created a group, comprised of numerous cities along the Mediterranean Coast, whose main purpose will be to manage tourism, culture, preservation of traditional crafts and prevent sea pollution. The idea for the League of Phoenician, Canaanite and Punic Cities was brought up at a UNESCO meeting with the goal of creating an “association of cities that were founded by the Phoenicians or that had commercial, cultural or human relations with the Phoenicians.”

The new league is comprised of about 30 cities. Cities within many different countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea will cooperate and report to appropriate agencies in order to carry out the agreed upon objectives.

The Daily Star Lebanon reports on the creation of the League of Phoenician, Canaanite and Punic Cities.

Roman-Era Cemetery Uncovered Near Hebron

North of Hebron, recent construction of a road in the town of Halhul has produced a Roman-era cemetery consisting of graves and human remains. The cemetery was uncovered as construction workers were using heavy machinery in order to expand the main road. Upon identifying the graves, workers immediately contacted the antiquities police. Residents in the area have been asked to report any related discoveries to police in order to help preserve and protect the region’s cultural heritage.

Ma’an News Agency reports on the Roman-era cemetery discovered in Palestine.

Third Century A.D. Child Burials Excavated at Palmyra

With the conclusion of the archaeological survey at the site of the ancient city of Palmyra, the Syrian-Japanese team of researchers uncovered a number of burials dating back to the third century A.D. The discovery at the central Syrian site consisted of thirteen burials of children and infants younger than two years old. Most bodies of the bodies were buried in coffins, though two were in clay jars.

Global Arab Network reports on the 3rd century A.D. burials uncovered in central Syria.

Beit Shearim “Menorah” Caves Open to Public

A site containing numerous caves with burial chambers dating back 2,000 years has been opened to the public within Beit Shearim national park. The caves are famous for a relief of a menorah discovered on one of the walls—a symbol that is representative of the Jewish state and tied to the history of the Jewish people.

With the addition of this find, the Beit Shearim site is becoming a larger archaeological compound and is gaining the support and funding from the legislative branch of the Israeli government. The site was also a popular location for the burial of higher government officials the first two centuries C.E.

Haaretz.com reports on the opening of the menorah burial caves of Beit Shearim to the public.

Granaries Discovered in Jordan Predate Agriculture

The world’s oldest known granaries have been discovered during recent excavations at Dhra’ near the Dead Sea in Jordan. A recent study co-authored by Ian Kuijt, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, and Bill Finlayson, director of the Council for British Research in the Levant suggests that granaries existed 1,000 years before the domestication of plants and sizeable sedentary communities.

People living from 11,500 to 10,550 B.C. (Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age) had yet to domesticate any plants, but the method used to store the wild grains in a granary leads researchers to believe this is evidence of “low-level food production.” The granaries may be a factor that led to the eventual development of sedentary communities.

Science Daily reports on the discovery of the world’s oldest known granaries.

Limestone was Deciding Factor in Jerusalem’s Construction, Says U.S. Researcher

Limestone karsts found below the city of Jerusalem have been used as evidence by a U.S. Geologist, Dr. Michael Bramnik of Northern Illinois University, to support his theory that it was the landscape that was the deciding factor for King David’s new city. Bramnik also believes the limestone was the savoir for Jerusalem from the Assyrian attack in 701 B.C.E., and not just the strength of the Jewish faith.

Limestone is easily eroded by rainwater. According to traditional accounts, King David found tunnels within the limestone foundation of Jerusalem and used that as his means of entering and conquering the city around 1,000 B.C.E. A few hundreds years later, King Hezekiah manipulated the malleability of limestone to reroute Jerusalem’s water source so that the tunnels would not allow any unwanted Assyrian conquerors to enter the city. Some believed it was their faith that saved them, but recently Bramnik claims science had a hand in protecting the city.

The Jerusalem Post reports on the limestone foundation of Jerusalem persuading King David’s decision to capture the future Jerusalem.

Alexander the Great not the First at Alexandria

Researchers are claiming there is evidence that Alexander the Great may not have been the first to establish a settlement in the region of Alexandria in Egypt in 331 B.C. Lead traces and ceramic fragments found in the sediment of Alexandria predate the traditional settlement date of this important ancient port.

A study is underway by the U.S. Geological Survey headed by Christopher Bernhardt that is examining sediment cores from layers of the earth at levels dating back to 8,000 years ago. While looking at pollen grains, researchers found a shift from wild pollen to those closely related to agriculture around 3,000 years ago. Trace amounts of charcoal have also been discovered, and scientists now believe that there was a human presence in this region before Alexander the Great.

Yahoo! News reports on the findings that Alexander the Great was not the first at Alexandria.