Middle East

The carved boulder, which weighs about 60 pounds and measures less than a foot across, “may have represented a totem or a mythological or spiritual figure,” says archaeologist Omry Barzilai.

A Mysterious Boulder Carved to Look Like a Tortoise Shell May Offer Evidence of the Middle East's Earliest Ritual Ceremonies

The 35,000-year-old rock was found in Manot Cave, which was inhabited by both prehistoric humans and Neanderthals

Iznik tile, 16th  to 17th century, Syria or Turkey.  

An Astonishing, Rarely Seen Islamic Art Collection Goes on Display

At the oldest public art museum in the United States, miniatures, glassware and other intricately created works transport visitors around the world

An illustration of opening of the Suez Canal in 1869

How the Groundbreaking Suez Canal Forever Transformed the World's Shipping Routes

The massive global shortcut linking the Mediterranean and Red Seas took ten years to dig through the Isthmus of Suez and was built on the path of an ancient canal

The researchers made experimental spindles and whorls based on 3D scans of the pebbles.

These Mysterious 12,000-Year-Old Pebbles May Be Early Evidence of Wheel-Like Tools, Archaeologists Say

Researchers in Israel suggest the roughly donut-shaped artifacts could be spindle whorls, representing one of the oldest examples of rotational technology

A cylinder seal (left) engraved with symbols that was used to press markings into wet clay (right)

The World's Earliest Writing System May Have Been Influenced by Older Symbols Found on Stone 'Cylinder Seals'

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors used symbols to track the sale of textile and agricultural products. New research suggests that these markings informed the development of writing

The gold votive plaque features a Greek inscription dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus.

Archaeologists Discover Engraved Gold Offering to Jupiter Dolichenu, a War God Revered by Roman Soldiers

The votive plaque was found amid the ruins of an ancient Roman fortress. Researchers think a temple dedicated to the mysterious deity may have stood nearby

The cat's ancient paw print measures 1.2 inches across.

This Ancient Paw Print on a Pottery Fragment in Jerusalem Is the Oldest Known Evidence of a Cat Kneading

The deep penetrations suggest that the feline was pressing its claws into the clay, a behavior sometimes known as "making biscuits"

A composite image of Tugunbulak created using lidar scans

Archaeologists Map Two Forgotten Medieval Cities That Flourished Along the Silk Road in the Mountains of Central Asia

The new research could change history's understanding of the sprawling trade network that connected Europe and the Middle East to East Asia

The researchers examined eight Iranian swords in their study.

These Iron Age Swords Were Smuggled Out of Iran and Modified to Increase Their Value on the Black Market

Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers discovered modern glue, drill holes and even a fragment of a drill bit in the pastiches

Robert Imbrie's body arrived in Washington, D.C. on September 29, 1924.

A Century Ago, a Mob Brutally Attacked an American Diplomat in Persia. His Death Shaped U.S.-Iran Relations for Decades

The July 1924 killing of Robert Imbrie fueled the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty and set the stage for both a CIA-backed 1953 coup and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis

One of the four newly translated cuneiform tablets

Newly Deciphered, 4,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets Used Lunar Eclipses to Predict Major Events

Ancient Babylonians linked astronomical phenomena to pestilence, the death of kings and the destruction of empires

Researchers translated the cuneiform writing, which is characterized by symbols gouged into moist clay.

Researchers Decipher Cuneiform Tablet—and Discover It’s a Furniture Receipt

The small clay rectangle is engraved with an ancient Semitic language known as Akkadian

The Roman-era ring depicts the goddess Minerva, who is adorned with a shield, helmet and spear.

This 13-Year-Old Stumbled Upon a Roman-Era Ring While Hiking in Israel

The small artifact, discovered near an ancient farmstead, features an engraving of the goddess Minerva

The reconstructed Magan boat floating off the coast of Abu Dhabi

This Bronze Age Ship Replica, Made From Reeds and Goat Hair, Just Sailed 50 Nautical Miles

Researchers constructed the vessel using a list of materials found on a 4,000-year-old clay tablet

The mythical beasts have fired up cultures around the world.

From China to the Mediterranean and More, Here's How Different Cultures Envision Dragons

In some parts of the world, the mythical creatures are monsters. In others, they’re more benign beings

Jacob Sharvit and Karnit Bahartan examine two amphorae recovered from the world's oldest-known deep-sea wreck.

World's Oldest Deep-Sea Shipwreck Discovered a Mile Beneath the Mediterranean Sea

Archaeologists recovered two amphorae from the 3,300-year-old wreck site, which sheds new light on ancient maritime navigation

Rania Matar, Farah, 2020

This Woman-Led Photography Exhibition Showcases the Diversity of Middle Eastern Femininity

The Middle East Institute show, "Louder Than Hearts," explores portraits of Arab and Iranian women through the lens of ten celebrated female artists

Researchers found the building's remains at Tel Habwa, an archaeological site northeast of Cairo.

This Ancient Building May Have Served as a Rest Stop for an Egyptian Pharaoh's Army

Found in the northern Sinai Peninsula, the multi-room structure may have housed Thutmose III's troops over three and a half millennia ago

A researcher explores the depths of Umm Jirsan.

Extensive Desert 'Lava Tubes' Sheltered Humans for 7,000 Years, Archaeologists Find

Formed after volcanic activity, the underground caves periodically hosted early humans and their livestock in Saudi Arabia, facilitating cultural exchange

Ruben Soto (right), a migrant from Venezuela, sits with Rosa Bello, a Honduran migrant, on top of a freight train known as “The Beast.” Ruben and Rosa met in Mexico and fell in love on their way to the United States.

See 25 Astonishing Images From the World Press Photo Contest

The winning photographs capture moving moments in the midst of tumultuous global events

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