Cave of Horror, or of Wonder?

Cave of Horror, or of Wonder?

The Israeli Antiquities Authority announced earlier this month the finding of a “new” Dead Sea Scroll in the Judean desert. Most news accounts tell only part of the story: the rest is far more interesting. The “new scroll” (and both words belong in quotation marks)...
In Praise of the Pig

In Praise of the Pig

A research article posted in the Jan. 13 issue of Science Advances reports that the oldest known example of representational art has been identified on the wall of a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia – and it’s the portrait of a pig. Or at least three pigs, drawn in dark...
Street Food Redivivus

Street Food Redivivus

The rising popularity of food trucks during the past decade has brought a renewed interest in street food, including places unaccustomed to big-city food carts peddling bagels, hot dogs or pizza: Walk through Times Square in New York, and you can smell the crust...
On the Horns of a Dilemma

On the Horns of a Dilemma

Occasionally, I like to dig into what’s being dug lately, highlighting recent archaeological discoveries in Israel and elsewhere. Teams in Egypt, for example, have been turning up scores of undisturbed coffins in Saqqara, an ancient necropolis south of Cairo, where...
University Salvages Buried Archaeology Program

University Salvages Buried Archaeology Program

Paige Patterson’s ill-fated tenure as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas had one good feature for archaeology nerds like me. He strongly supported the school’s archaeology program, known as the Tandy Institute. Not so the new president,...