Middle East | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/middle-east-1/RSS feed for Middle East enFri, 01 May 2026 15:29:01 +0000Dead Bodies Filled a Mass Grave When the First Plague Pandemic Struck This Early Medieval City. New Research Explores the Identity of the Victimshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dead-bodies-filled-a-mass-grave-when-the-first-pandemic-struck-this-early-medieval-city-new-research-explores-the-identity-of-the-victims-180988652/Researchers analyzed isotopes and DNA in the teeth of remains found in a mass grave from the Plague of Justinian, which swept through the Byzantine EmpireFri, 01 May 2026 15:29:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dead-bodies-filled-a-mass-grave-when-the-first-pandemic-struck-this-early-medieval-city-new-research-explores-the-identity-of-the-victims-180988652/This Giant 400-Year-Old Astrolabe—Made by Mughal Master Craftsmen and Owned by Royalty—Fetched Millions at Auctionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-400-year-old-astrolabe-made-for-royalty-by-mughal-master-craftsmen-and-owned-by-royalty-fetched-millions-at-auction-180988638/Ancient Greek astronomers and early Islamic scientists used astrolabes as mechanical computers to calculate time, determine height and navigate by the starsWed, 29 Apr 2026 14:07:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-giant-400-year-old-astrolabe-made-for-royalty-by-mughal-master-craftsmen-and-owned-by-royalty-fetched-millions-at-auction-180988638/