• April 9: In
England, metal detectorist Dave Crisp discovers the
Frome Hoard, 52,503 Roman coins dating to the period 253 to 305, one of the largest hoards ever found in Britain. • May • A fragment of a clay tablet is discovered in the
Ophel section of the
City of David in
Jerusalem. The fragment, with a surface of , is the oldest piece of writing from Jerusalem yet discovered, dating back to the 14th century BC. The high quality of the
Akkadian writing indicates that it was engraved by a royal
scribe and speaks to the importance of Jerusalem as a political center in that era. • In
Cumbria,
England, a metal detectorist discovers an almost complete
Roman cavalry helmet. • June • Skeletons featuring marks that could have resulted from a violent death are uncovered during an ongoing investigation in Driffield Terrace near the centre of
York in
England. Archaeologists believe the cemetery to be that of
gladiators. Bite marks on one skeleton suggest that the gladiator was bitten by a large
carnivore which would be consistent with gladiatorial battles in
Ancient Rome. • The
Areni-1 shoe, the world's oldest leather shoe is found in a cave in the
Vayots Dzor Province of
Armenia. The 5,500-year-old shoe dates back to approximately 3,500 BC and is in excellent condition, due in large part to being buried under a pile of sheep dung. • July •
Egyptian archaeologists unveil a recently discovered double-tomb in
Saqqara. The tomb is the resting place of a father and son who served as heads of the royal scribes. The tomb dates to the
6th dynasty making it 4,300 years old. Archaeologists hail this find as one of the most colorful
Old Kingdom tombs ever discovered. They also believe that, when excavated, this area just west of the
Step Pyramid of Djoser, could be one of the largest cemeteries in
ancient Egypt. • The first
Philistine temple is unearthed at
Tell es-Safi,
Israel, the historic site of the city of
Gath. The find provides archeological context for the
Biblical narrative of
Samson (
Book of Judges chapters 13 to 16), who destroys a Philistine temple by pulling the two main pillars together. • The second (and larger) of the
Salme ships from the
Viking Age, containing the remains of more than 20 dead men, is found in the village of
Salme on the island of
Saaremaa,
Estonia. Several weapons, everyday items, gaming pieces and animal remains are also found. •
Parks Canada finds wreck of
HMS Investigator (1848) on
Banks Island in the
Beaufort Sea. • July 22: Archaeologists using
ground-penetrating radar announce discovery of an apparent
new henge at Stonehenge in England. • August • Stone point
arrowheads are recovered from
Sibudu Cave,
South Africa, which date back 64,000 years. The arrowheads have traces of blood and a plant resin
glue. This is the oldest known use of arrows. • The
Theban Desert Road Survey, a program led by
Yale University, announces the discovery of an ancient Egyptian settlement along an ancient caravan route in the
Western Desert. The settlement was a major administrative and economical center, estimated to have been in use from 1650 BC to 1550 BC. • September: An 8th-century BC
Moabite temple is discovered near the city of
Madaba,
Jordan. The temple contains around three hundred religious artifacts, including a figurine of the animal god
Hadad. The artifacts will be displayed in the
Jordan Archaeological Museum. • Undated: Excavations at
Taposiris Magna in Egypt uncover a huge headless granite statue of a Ptolemaic pharaoh and portions of the original gateway to a temple dedicated to the god Osiris. ==Events==