Today, more than 200 million people worldwide are infected with the parasitic worms that cause schistosomiasis. But where did the disease come from? Researchers think that they might have found a clue ...

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 ...

An aerial view of the Zanj irrigation system in Basra taken during the fieldwork. Credit: Durham University An international team of archaeologists has, for the first time, accurately dated an ...

A new study published in PLOS One suggests that the first great cities of Sumer may have been built on tides, not canals. Researchers argue that freshwater tidal flows from the Persian Gulf created a ...

Mesopotamian clay maps, dating back 5,000 years, provide a fascinating glimpse into the ancient world’s perception of geography, particularly its rivers. These clay tablets not only depict the ...