ANE Today - Current News About the Ancient Past

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Recent Articles

Map of Cyprus from 1873-1874 CE, while under Ottoman control. Public Domain via Wikimedia.

History

Cyprus Through Syrian Eyes: Reflections on Hanna Diyab’s 1707 Travels

October 22, 2026

Close-up of a seal impression on a mudstopper from Saqqara tomb S3503 with serekhs (rectangular symbols that were used to frame an Egyptian king’s name in the Early Dynastic period). Courtesy of the Egypt Exploration Society; used with permission from the author.

Digital Archaeology

Did Meretneith Rule Egypt as a Female King in the First Dynasty?

October 1, 2026

Nahal Omer textile collection: a. Supplementary weft cotton; b. Ikat cotton; b. Wool fragment; d. Green cotton with Ikat patch e. wool and cotton; f. Supplementary weft cotton; g. silk.

Archaeological Method

From Trash to Treasure: Nahal Omer and the Virtual Silk Road

September 17, 2026

Featured Articles

The nature of the destroyed architectural elements inside the temple. Photo taken in 2016 by M. Abdulkarim.

Conservation

What is the Future of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra?

September 19, 2024

Distilling apparatus, Add. 25724, fol.36v. The British Library Board.

Food

Arabic Medieval Cookbooks in English Translation: Treasure Troves for Near Eastern Material Culture

May 3, 2019

Aerial photo of the excavations in the northern area with architectural drawing overlay highlighting the walls and mosaic floors of a large basilica church excavated in 2026. Photo and plan by Yakov Shmidov. ©Nessana Expedition

Christianity

Ancient Nessana: A Pilgrimage Site at the Edge of the Desert

April 16, 2026

Six-sided clay prism with written accounts of the military campaigns of Sennacherib. Held by the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (ISAC). Photo: Daderot / Wikimedia Commons. CC0 1.0 DEED

History

Did an Academic Outsider Determine What Saved Jerusalem from Conquest by the Assyrian Emperor Sennacherib in 701 BCE?

July 19, 2021

Baalat Gebal Temple dedicated to the chief goddess of Byblos. Photo: Hanan Charaf.

Cities & Urbanism

Byblos and the Making of an Ancient Maritime Hub

June 11, 2026

Symbols representing the pharaoh: the encircling ‘cartouche’, left, and the older palace-façade styled ‘serekh’, right, containing names of the 4th dynasty ruler Snefru (Dave Lightbody).

Egypt

New Symbols of Hierarchy: On the Origins of the Cartouche and Encircling Symbolism in Old Kingdom Pyramids

July 12, 2021