09/02/2020 NEWS
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ISRAEL - 
- Abel Beth-Maacah - A newly-discovered Hebrew inscription might confirm that the border of ancient Israel reached areas that some archaeologists were previously skeptical about, thus confirming the Biblical tale. A Hebrew inscription was in fact discovered for the first time in the site of Abel Beth-Maacah. Abel Beth-Maacah is mentioned in the Bible several times. “Ben-hadad responded to King Asa’s request; he sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel and captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all Chinneroth, as well as all the land of Naphtali,” reads the first reference in I Kings 15, 20 (translation by Sefaria.org). The archaeologists pointed out that also 3,000 years ago the city was at the crossroad between different political entities, namely the kingdom of Israel, the Aramean kingdom and the Phoenicians, who were not part of a unified state but lived in several independent cities along the northern coast.
IRAN – 
Shahr-e Qumis - A new round of archaeological exploration has been commenced at the ancient Shahr-e Qumis in Damghan, north-central Iran, which was once one of the capital of the Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 CE). “This [round of] exploration aims to document archaeological remains of the site by the means of remote sensing and field observations in order to identify the reasons for the formation of the site as a goal of this multi-year project,” ILNA reported. Today, the plain of Shahr-e Qumis is absolutely deserted, but everywhere, one can see the remains of an old city, which was, according to the Greek author Appian of Alexandria, founded by the Seleucid king Seleucus I Nicator, according to Livius.org; a website on ancient history written and maintained since 1996 by the Dutch historian Jona Lendering. Shahr-e Qumis comprises several ancient mounds. Only a few of them have been properly excavated, and the area between them has mostly been ignored. The field of shards at Shahr-e Qumis measures some 7 by 4 kilometers or 28 square kilometers, which suggests that it must have boasted tens of thousands of inhabitants. Some say that Alexander the Great stopped here in Shahr-e Qumis in the summer of 330 BC and it became part of the Seleucid Empire after his death. Qumis was destroyed by an earthquake in 856 CE, and it was probably abandoned afterward.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/444941/Iran-resumes-archaeological-exploration-at-ancient-Qumis
IRAN – 
Kerman - Experts from German University of Tubingen along with Iranian fellows will commence a joint archaeological survey in Kerman province, southeastern Iran. So far, five seasons of archeological research have been conducted in comprehensive and inclusive fields of study in the cities of Jiroft, Anbarabad, Faryab and Kahnooj, which yielded valuable information of human settlements from the Neolithic era onwards, the report added. The big and sprawling Kerman province has been a cultural melting pot since antiquity, blending Persians with subcontinental tribe dwellers. It is home to myriad historical sites and scenic landscapes such as Bazaar-e Sartasari, Jabalieh Dome, Ganjali Khan Bathhouse, Malek Jameh Mosque and Shahdad Desert to name a few.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/444940/Iranian-German-experts-to-cooperate-in-Kerman-archaeological
Rép. TCHEQUE - Un puits néolithique découvert en République tchèque il y a deux ans constitue la plus ancienne structure en bois du monde, ont affirmé des archéologues tchèques mardi, citant des tests approfondis. «Nous avons effectué une analyse dendrochronologique et l'avons confirmée par une datation au carbone», a déclaré Jaroslav Peska du Centre archéologique de la ville d'Olomouc, dans l'Est de la République tchèque. «Le puits remonte à 5.256-5.255 avant JC. Il n'y a actuellement aucune structure en bois artificielle plus ancienne datée par la dendrochronologie dans le monde, bien que cela puisse changer à l'avenir», a expliqué Jaroslav Peska à l'AFP. Le puits a été découvert en 2018 sur le site d'une future autoroute à environ 120 kilomètres à l'Est de la capitale Prague. «Nous avons déterré une partie inférieure en bois du puits qui mesure 1,4 mètre de haut», a expliqué l'archéologue tchèque. Selon l'agence de presse CTK, l'ossature du puits était construite à l'aide de quatre poteaux placés dans les coins et incisés pour y placer les planches. Jusqu'à présent, les scientifiques estimaient que cette technologie n'avait été utilisée que beaucoup plus tard. Les archéologues ont enlevé le puits ainsi que la terre qu'il contenait, et qui est également testée pour donner aux scientifiques une idée de l'environnement néolithique, la dernière période de l'âge de pierre. «Le puits est actuellement en cours de conservation et, une fois cela fait, il sera transporté dans un musée à (la ville voisine de) Pardubice dans environ deux ou trois ans», a déclaré Jaroslav Peska.