excavator

California is drawing attention on two fronts. A federal judge rejected the Trump administration's effort to block the state's practice of counting ballots cast by noncitizens in local elections, a ruling with implications for voting rights disputes nationwide. Meanwhile, some California beaches have been forced to close after unusually high ocean water levels linked to Tropical Storm Rachel, with waves crashing into homes as excavators work to protect coastal properties.

Archaeologists have uncovered an Iron Age salt-mining complex beneath Hallstatt in Austria, a site long famous for its prehistoric salt extraction. The find adds to Hallstatt's rich archaeological record, which gave its name to an entire era of early European civilisation. Details of the excavation and what the complex contains remain limited.

Archaeology is drawing attention with several new discoveries. Researchers report what may be the earliest evidence of deadly interpersonal violence, and a sensational find has been made in a sunken palace from antiquity. In Germany, excavations at the palace of Otto the Great in Helfta are underway, while in Sardinia, archaeology around Mandas is being developed as a tourism resource with plans looking toward 2027.

Driverless excavators are entering paid service as Bedrock Robotics rolls out a retrofit system that automates existing machines, with installation reportedly taking about a day. The startup says it has raised a further $600 million to expand autonomous excavation on active construction sites, drawing attention to how quickly heavy-equipment automation is moving from trials to real jobsites.

Researchers have developed a physics-guided artificial intelligence model that predicts how tunnels deform when a foundation pit is excavated nearby. By combining physical laws with machine learning, the approach aims to give engineers earlier warnings of risks to underground infrastructure during urban construction, a persistent safety concern in dense cities where deep excavations can disturb existing metro and utility tunnels.

The Oseberg tapestry fragments are pieces of woven textile found in the Oseberg ship burial in Norway, a rich Viking-Age grave dated to around 834 AD and excavated in 1904. The fragments, depicting human and animal figures in processions, are among the most important surviving examples of Viking textile art and are held by Norwegian museums studying early medieval Scandinavian culture.

Aish.com has published a piece examining the biblical account of Ai, the Canaanite city whose conquest by the Israelites is described in the Book of Joshua. The article addresses archaeological debate over the site's location and the apparent gap between the biblical narrative and excavations at et-Tell, which suggest the city was destroyed long before the Israelite period.

Workers excavating near a school have accidentally uncovered human remains, with skulls beginning to emerge from underground. Reports point to a previously unknown burial site, likely an old tomb or cemetery, found during digging close to the school grounds. The discovery has raised questions about what lies beneath the area and how construction will proceed.

Archaeologists believe they may have uncovered a church referenced in the letters of St Jerome, the fourth-century scholar who translated the Bible into Latin. The claim has drawn attention among historians and religious communities, as a find linked to Jerome's own writings would offer rare direct evidence connecting early Christian texts to a physical site. Details of the excavation's location and dating have not been widely reported.

Researchers have launched new work aimed at combating fossil poaching while using legitimate specimens to answer questions about Earth's ancient history. The effort connects the protection of fossils from illegal excavation and trade with scientific study of the planet's past, drawing attention to how stolen or smuggled fossils undermine both science and heritage.

Archaeologists have discovered an early medieval church near Venice that had been considered lost. The find offers a rare glimpse of religious architecture and settlement in the Venetian lagoon region during the early Middle Ages. Details about the church's age, dedication, and condition have not yet been fully published, and medieval history followers are awaiting further reports from the excavation team.

Italian archaeologists conducting research beneath Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre have reported discoveries linked to the tomb traditionally identified as the burial place of Jesus. The church, one of Christianity's holiest sites, has been the focus of excavation and restoration work in recent years, and the reported findings are drawing attention from religious communities and scholars alike.

Archaeologists report that a grave excavation has produced coins featuring imagery of wrestling, according to Numismatic News. The find offers a rare glimpse of how the ancient sport appeared on currency, and it is drawing attention from numismatists and historians interested in sport and daily life in antiquity. Details about the grave's location and dating remain limited in initial coverage.