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Copper Follis of Anastasios I
A Byzantine copper coin, the follis, from the reign of Anastasios I, 491-518 CE. (Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com)
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Standing Gilded Copper Buddha
Standing Buddha, 10th century CE, copper alloy with gilding. Sri Lanka. On display as part of 'The Jeweled Isle: Art from Sri Lanka' exhibition, at the LACMA in Los Angeles, California (2018-19)
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Copper Coin of Dioscurias, Colchis
Copper. The weight range: chalkos e.g. – 1,3-3,1 gr., dichalkon e.g. – 3,7-5 gr., tetrachalkon e.g. – 6,1 gr. d≈14 mm. Obverse: Caps of Dioscuri, surmounted by six, or eight-pointed stars. Reverse: Thyrsos of Dionysus, i.e. of Mithridates...
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Copper alloy foundation figurines with pegs representing Gods
Each peg has a very faint cuneiform inscription of Gudea, the ruler of the city-state of Lagash. Foundation pegs were buried in the foundation of buildings to magically protect them and preserve the builder's name for posterity. In this...
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Copper Alloy Coin of Emperor Julian
This coin showing a bull is the first of its type to be unearthed in Britain. Found by Simon Hall, the coin was recorded with the PAS before being donated to the British Museum. Julian unsuccessfully tried to revive paganism after Christianity...
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Byzantine Copper-Alloy Bracelet
Crafted sometime between the 6th-8th centuries CE, this bracelet comprises four linked medallions. Decorations include concentric geometric figures (very popular in Byzantine art), along with a woman's face, a fish, a boat and an inscription...
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Pirate Punishments in the Golden Age of Piracy
Pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730) both dished out and received a wide range of imaginative punishments. Victims of piracy endured torture, floggings, and ceremonies of humiliation, but when brought to justice, the pirates were...
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Viking Age Greenland
Greenland was drawn into the Viking Age and settled by Norse Vikings in the late 980s CE, their presence there lasting into the 15th century CE. Despite its ice-riddled geography, the Norse managed to carve out a living for themselves in...
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Pirate Clothing in the Golden Age of Piracy
Pirates have gained a reputation for wearing bright and distinctive clothing and accessories during the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730) even if, in reality, most of what we think they wore comes from works of fiction like Robert Louis Stevenson’s...
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The Spice Trade & the Age of Exploration
One of the major motivating factors in the European Age of Exploration was the search for direct access to the highly lucrative Eastern spice trade. In the 15th century, spices came to Europe via the Middle East land and sea routes, and spices...