At the dawn of the second millennium BC, Mesopotamia was in chaos. Eventually, the kings of Babylon established control and created an empire. While Mesopotamian political, economic, social and ...

In world history class, students often learn that human civilization arose in Mesopotamia — the so-called "Fertile Crescent" — and in the same breath, many teachers dive into the history of Babylon.

Learn how the first civilization in Mesopotamia depended on tides and how it responded when faced with a major environmental challenge. Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who ...

Recent events in Iraq, Iran, and Turkey recall ancient and equally dramatic events in Babylon and Mesopotamia, whose lands these countries now occupy. A magnificent storyteller and a careful historian ...

In southern Iraq, archaeologists have excavated a remarkable collection of carved clay tablets—ancient records of Akkadia, the world’s oldest empire. Marked with the administrative details of ...

The Great Ziggurat of Ur dedicated to the Moon god. Ziggurats were massive structure typical for Mesopotamia. Sumerians believed that the gods lived in the temple at the top of the ziggurats. Woods ...

Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue. View Full ...