One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years took place at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, but its dating during the late 17^th or 16^th century BCE remained controversial.  Volcanic ash from the eruption spread over a large area in the eastern Mediterranean region. One of the lingering questions in archeology was how this huge geological event lined up with royal Egyptian chronologies. Now, a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and University of Groningen researchers produced the first radiocarbon dates concerning King Ahmose, the Pharaoh who reunited Upper and Lower Egypt and established the New Kingdom. Their results show that the explosive eruption occurred prior to the New Kingdom during the Second Intermediate Period. The new radiocarbon dates significantly favor a “low” (i.e. younger) chronology for the beginning of the 18^th Dynasty, which is of great importance in our understanding of Egyptian relations with neighboring civilizations in the region.One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last 10,000 years took place at the Greek island of Thera (Santorini) in the Aegean Sea, but its dating during the late 17^th or 16^th century BCE remained controversial.  Volcanic ash from the eruption spread over a large area in the eastern Mediterranean region. One of the lingering questions in archeology was how this huge geological event lined up with royal Egyptian chronologies. Now, a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and University of Groningen researchers produced the first radiocarbon dates concerning King Ahmose, the Pharaoh who reunited Upper and Lower Egypt and established the New Kingdom. Their results show that the explosive eruption occurred prior to the New Kingdom during the Second Intermediate Period. The new radiocarbon dates significantly favor a “low” (i.e. younger) chronology for the beginning of the 18^th Dynasty, which is of great importance in our understanding of Egyptian relations with neighboring civilizations in the region.

A research team led by the University of Copenhagen has uncovered a remarkable Early Bronze Age ritual landscape at Murayghat in Jordan. The discovery can shed new light on how ancient communities responded to social and environmental change.

In the heart of the ancient Roman city of Gabii, located just 11 miles east of Rome, a team of archaeologists led by University of Missouri professor Marcello Mogetta has made a remarkable discovery: the remains of a massive stone-lined basin, partly carved directly into the bedrock.

Built around 250 B.C., with evidence that some parts may be even older, this man-made structure may be one of the earliest examples of Roman monumental architecture other than temples and city walls.

Griffith researchers built and tested a digital archaeology framework to learn more about the ancient humans who created one of the oldest forms of rock art, finger fluting.

Finger flutings are marks drawn by fingers through a soft mineral film called moonmilk on cave walls.

Experiments were conducted - both with adult participants in a tactile setup and using VR headsets in a custom-built program - to explore whether image-recognition methods could learn enough from finger-fluting images made by modern people to identify the sex of the person who created them.

The most comprehensive geoarchaeological survey of Egypt’s Karnak Temple complex has been carried out by an international research team led from Uppsala University. The temple is one of the ancient world’s largest temple complexes and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site within the modern-day city of Luxor.

The study, published in Antiquity reveals new evidence on the foundation of the temple, possible links to ancient Egyptian mythology, and new insights about the interplay between the temple’s riverine landscape and the people who established, occupied and developed the complex over its 3,000 years of use.

Satellite images have revealed the remains of an ancient system of elaborate, funnel-shaped mega traps that were likely built by hunters and pastoralists to catch prey in the high altitudes of northern Chile.