Acclaimed vocal ensemble Blue Heron performs a celebration of Christmas in 16th century Spain, from mystical motets to vivacious villancicos. The group’s artistic director, Scott Metcalfe, shares ...

Despite temporary conquests by Trajan, Rome never permanently annexed Parthian Mesopotamia, the richest region within its reach. This video delves into the grand strategic reasons: the sheer, ...

Researchers at Israel’s Hebrew University have identified the world’s earliest systematic botanical art, dating back more than 8,000 years, that demonstrates sophisticated mathematical reasoning.

Around 2112 B.C., the Sumerian king Ur-Namma (r. 2112–2095 B.C.) united the city-states of southern Mesopotamia into a short-lived kingdom known today as the Third Dynasty of Ur, or Ur III. More than ...

Chogha Zanbil was first spotted from a surveillance airplane in 1935. The excavated complex was discovered to be one of the few ziggurats built outside Mesopotamia. The ruins of the ancient Elamite ...

The world’s first known lock-and-key system, dating back to 4000 BCE in Mesopotamia, shows how ancient people protected their valuables. Built from wood and pins, this mechanism inspired later Greek ...