The story of how the first cities rose from southern Mesopotamia has long fascinated scientists and historians. Many explanations point to fertile soil, farming, and trade networks as the engines of ...

Researchers mapped over 4,000 canals in the Mesopotamian region around Eridu, history’s first city. The research team found that the canals irrigated more than 700 farms in the region, which was ...

The targets, in hindsight, were obvious choices. Amid a brutal campaign a decade ago to claim a caliphate across the lands of Mesopotamia, the insurgent group the Islamic State sought to control the ...

Ancient Middle Eastern farmers prioritized grapes over olives, irrigating vineyards to sustain wine despite climate stress.

Archaeologists have uncovered a vast network of canals underneath the world’s oldest city in Mesopotamia, shedding more light on the rise of farming in the region. Researchers, led by geoarchaeologist ...

International scholars find that Bronze and Iron Age farmers proved resilient in the face of climate change, cultivating ...