International Archaeological Discovery Award “Palmyra” 2025 (11th edition)

Since 2015, Mediterranean Exchange of Archaeological Tourism and Archeo have decided to pay homage to archaeological discoveries with an annual prize awarded in collaboration with the international magazines that are media partners of the Exchange: Antike Welt (Germany), arCHaeo (Switzerland), AiD Archäologie in Deutschland (Germany), Archéologia (France), Current and World Archaeology (United Kingdom), Dossiers d’Archéologie (France).

From its first edition until 2024, the award has been named after “Khaled al-Asaad”, Director of the archaeological site and museum of Palmyra from 1963 to 2003, who paid with his life for defending cultural heritage.

After ten years, the award is now named after “Palmyra” in memory of both the hashtag ‘#Unite4HeritageforPalmyra’ – symbol of the BMTA’s 2016 communication campaign to draw attention to the archaeological site for its reconstruction and accompany the rebirth of cultural tourism in Syria – and the twinning agreement signed with Paestum in 2018.

In memory of Khaled al-Asaad

The remembrance of the archaeologist Paolo Matthiae: «For forty years, Khaled al-Asaad has been the Director of the archaeological excavations of Palmyra. He was the archaeologist of the city, he worked with missions from every country: from France to Germany, from Switzerland to Netherlands, from United States to Poland, and in the last years from Italy too, with the mission from Università Statale of Milan. He was a complete scholar, but mostly he had the peculiar feature of a member of the families of the cities of the desert. These people, like the ancient Bedouins, are lovely, kind and very hospitable, in a completely natural way, not excessive but very measured and discreet fashion. Khaled al-Asaad was a very lovely man, measured and with a kind soul. Even archaeologists who didn’t specialize in that period – Roman antiquity – often came to Palmyra to visit him and Khaled’s friendliness was total. He was a man deeply rooted in the city, and yet, for the international character of the site he oversaw, he was a citizen of the world, too. In various occasions his name was suggested for the position of General Director of Antiquities in Damascus, but I believed he preferred to remain in Palmyra, a city he identified himself with».
«Khaled was so certain he was just doing his job that he didn’t think he needed to escape. And as I remember him, he wasn’t a man who feared for his own life. Even if in retirement and almost 82, he preferred to stay in his city, precisely because he had understood its antiquities were in ranger. And probably, he imagined his undisputed moral authority could protect what Palmyra held and still holds today: the ruins of an absolutely extraordinary archaeological site, for all the Mediterranean area and for the whole world».

The International Archaeological Discovery Award ‘Palmyra’ is the only global award dedicated to archaeologists who, with sacrifice, dedication, expertise and scientific research, carry out their daily work in their dual role as scholars of the past and professionals serving the local area.

The Director of the Exchange, Ugo Picarelli, and the Director of Archeo, Andreas Steiner, have shared this journey together, aware that ‘the civilisations and cultures of the past and their relationship with the surrounding environment are becoming increasingly important today in terms of rediscovering identities in a global society that is increasingly losing its values’. The Award, therefore, is characterised by the dissemination of an exchange of experiences, represented by international discoveries, also as a good practice of intercultural dialogue.

Greece triumphs at BMTA 2025 with the Palmyra Prize and Special Award.

The extraordinary discovery of an ancient Minoan building in Crete, dating back over 4,000 years, won the International Archaeological Discovery Award ‘Palmyra’ and the ‘Special Award’ decided by the audience of followers of the Mediterranean Exchange of Archaeological Tourism.

The award will be presented to Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture and Sport of Greece, on Friday 31 October at 6 p.m., during the 27th edition, which will take place in Paestum from 30 October to 2 November. Minister Mendoni will be joined by Olympia Vikatou, Director-General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage.

Here is the discovery that won the two awards:

Greece, on the island of Crete, a mysterious palace reminiscent of the myth of the labyrinth

During the construction of a new airport on top of Papoura hill, north-west of the town of Kastelli, a monument dating back 4,000 years was discovered, believed to belong to the Minoan civilisation. The building, with circular walls and intricate rooms, 48 metres in diameter and covering an area of 1,800 square metres, consisting of eight rings, was probably used for religious purposes. The circular structure, reminiscent of a giant wheel, has prompted comparisons with the myth of Ariadne. The Minoan civilisation dates back to the Bronze Age and arose on the island of Crete from around 2,700 BC to 1,400 BC. The building is part of an important period in Crete’s history, which saw the emergence of imposing palaces such as Knossos and Phaistos on the island within a few decades. The presence of many animal bones, found among the ceramic artefacts, suggests that it was used for ritual feasts, which included food, wine and other offerings. While Minoan palaces were laid out on square or rectangular plans, the structure discovered is circular, a shape more commonly found in Minoan tombs. It could therefore be a burial mound with reinforcing structures, following the model of a circle with circular and radial elements, which could give rise to different rooms. Ancestor worship and rituals involving the use of burial mounds were widespread in Greece during the Bronze Age.

The other four archaeological discoveries of 2024 shortlisted for the 11th edition of the International Archaeological Discovery Award ‘Palmyra’ are:

– Cambodia, 100 pieces of sandstone statues found in sandy soil

– Israel, the cargo from a Bronze Age shipwreck found off Haifa

– Peru, a 5.000-year-old ceremonial temple under a sand dune

– Turkey, a 800 meters long Roman colonnaded street

The discoveries in details:

Cambodia, 100 pieces of sandstone statues found in sandy soil

During recent restoration excavations conducted at Ta Prohm Temple, one of the most iconic structures of the Angkor complex, the APSARA National Authority discovered more than 100 pieces of sandstone Buddha statues, thanks to experts from the Department of Monument Conservation and Preventive Archaeology. The recovered fragments include a variety of representations, including Buddha statues protected by a Naga, Avalokite śvara statues and other statue fragments. Archaeologist Neth Simon, who led the excavation team, explained that the discovery was made during the clearing of a pile of soil located on the southern side of the laterite wall of the third enclosure of the Ta Prohm temple, at a depth of 10-15 cm and digging deeper, more and more statue fragments emerged, over 100 pieces, with heights of about half a meter and widths of between 40 and 50 cm, for which it is assumed that they belong to the Bayon style, 13^th-14^th century approximately, a period known for its refined sculptural and architectural art. The Bayon was built in the early 13^th century as a state temple by King Jayavarman VII. Located in the centre of Angkor Thom, its main peculiarity are the numerous smiling faces carved on the four faces of the square-section towers that rise towards the majestic central tower.

Israel, the cargo from a Bronze Age shipwreck found off Haifa

Dating back to about 3,400 years ago, in the late Bronze Age, 90 km from the coast and on the seabed at a depth of 1,800 m, the wreck of a merchant ship with hundreds of intact amphorae was found, the only one so far offshore and from such an ancient era. The large pile of amphorae was discovered thanks to surveys conducted by Energean, a natural gas company, which operates on offshore platforms, during exploration of the seabed in search of new excavation opportunities for the opening of other wells. Jacob Sharvit, head of the Israel Authority’s marine unit, which deals with ancient finds, hypothesizes that the ship was 12-16 meters long and was used to transport consumer goods, such as oil, wine and fruit, and that it sank suddenly in a storm or a pirate attack, common events in the Late Bronze Age, calling the find “a discovery that changes history on a global scale. The wreck’s location, far from any visible coastline, reveals the ability of sailors to navigate the Mediterranean Sea without seeing land, challenging previous academic assumptions that suggested exclusively coastal navigation, as the ancient wrecks found so far in the Mediterranean Sea have been in shallow waters, one off the uninhabited island of Dokos, Greece; two off the coast of Turkey, Uluburun and the Cape Gelidonya boat that crashed on rocks. Here the completely different scenario required a high-tech robotic submersible to intervene on the wreck.

Peru, a 5.000-year-old ceremonial temple under a sand dune

In the district of Zaña (also written Saña), in northwestern Peru, researchers discovered the remains of the walls of a multi-story temple and embedded between the walls, the skeletons of three adults. The site of the temple is part of the Los Paredones de la Otra Banda-Las Ánimas archaeological complex. For Luis Armando Muro Ynoñán, director of the archaeological project of the cultural landscapes of Úcupe – Zaña Valley, it is a religious complex in an archaeological space defined by walls built with mud, with a central staircase, from which it was possible to ascend to a kind of stage in the central part, whose walls were decorated with intricate friezes depicting images of the human body with a bird’s head, feline features and reptilian claws; the upper parts of the walls, however, were covered with a fine plaster with a pictorial design.

Another monument was also unearthed, dating back to a period between 600 and 700 AD which would have occurred during the Moche period of Peru, a people who practiced human sacrifice and were known for their large temples and artwork, including ceramic chalices shaped to look like human heads.

Turkey, a 800 meters long Roman colonnaded street

During archaeological excavations carried out in the Hıdırlık Tower, one of the most important historical symbols of Antalya, a renowned tourist destination in southern Turkey, a colonnaded street from the Roman era was discovered, which extends over a length of 800 meters. In 133 BC the city was annexed by the Romans and this is why the Roman era of the place preserves important vestiges, including Hadrian’s Gate, a triumphal arch built around 130 AD in honour of the emperor. The Roman Hıdırlık Tower represents one of the oldest surviving monuments in the city of Antalya. Located at the crossroads between Kaleiçi, the city’s historic district, and Karaalioğlu Park, it is characterized by being built with yellow-brown stone blocks, a detail that gives it an aura of antiquity and majesty. The Antalya Museum Directorate and the Metropolitan Municipality aim to transform the tower into a significant cultural and tourist site. The Municipality’s project director, Ezgi Öz, said that the road, which has already been excavated for about 100 meters, appears to extend all the way to Üçkapılar, revealing a direct connection to the sea, with a total length of 800 meters. The conclusion of the project will result in the creation of a large observation deck, the largest in Turkey, which will allow the public to admire the historical structures on display through glass roofs, as well as wooden pedestrian areas to ensure a complete and immersive experience.