Top archaeological finds of 2015 (15 images)

An overview of an excavation area at the City of David Archeology Park outside the Old City of Jerusalem, near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, November 3, 2015. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, after years of excavations underneath the Givati parking lot, the remains of a stronghold, the Acra, used by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago to control the Temple Mount during the reign of King Antiochus Epiphanes (c. 215-164 BCE) were discovered at the excavation site. Archeological findings of sling stones, arrowheads, and ballistas stones were recovered and are evidence of the Hasmonean attempts to conquer the stronghold. Photo by Debbie Hill/ UPI

A chemistry room from the 1840s was found during the renovation of the University of Virginia's famed Rotunda building. The small room features work benches, stone work surfaces, a chemical hearth and two fireboxes fed by air ducts and used to burn coal and wood for heat-induced chemical reactions. Once the renovation is finished, the hearth will be part of a permanent display. Photo by UVA

English researchers discovered a new monument at Stonehenge, which may be the largest collection of stones at the site. Found buried beneath a grassy ridge at the southern edge of Durrington Walls, the monument purportedly consists of a 90 monoliths arranged in an arena-like C-shape. Researchers say the alleged superhenge dates back to 4,500 years ago. Image by LBI ArchPro, Juan Torrejón Valdelomar, Joachim Brandtner

An overview of an archeological site that has revealed a large mausoleum uncovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority while searching for the real location of the Tomb of the Maccabees in Modi'in, Israel, September 21, 2015. Byzantine Period mosaics adorned with a cross were found in the floor of a burial vault believed to be associated with the Tombs of the Maccabees who were exalted saints in the eyes of early Christianity. The Maccabees led the uprising against Greek rule and were responsible for cleansing the impurity from the Second Temple. As yet, archaeological evidence is not currently sufficient to establish that this burial place is of the Maccabees. The Israeli Antiquities Authority has vowed to extend the excavations in hope of finding evidence to confirm that this large mausoleum is the Tomb of the Maccabees. Photo by Debbie Hill/ UPI