Images

Gold alloy (tumbaga), 500 BCE - 700 BCE. Colombia. Gold was an important material in ancient Colombia. It had a symbolic association with the creative energy of the Sun. This helmet would not have been used in battle but instead would...

The Adda Seal, depicting the Sumerian god Enki with two rivers pouring from his shoulders. The two-faced figure is his vizier Usimu. On the left is the sun god Utu-Shamash. 2300 BCE. The British Museum, London.

Wooden hoe formed from a wooden handle-shaft, separate wooden blade inserted into a hole in the shaft, and rope bridging the two pieces. This allowed the angle of the blade to be adjusted.

Female figurine known as the Karpathos Lady. Limestone, 4500-3200 BCE. Found on Karpathos, Greece. This object is the oldest Greek statue in the British Museum's collection. Particular care has been taken to define the face, breasts and...

Olmec Mask. Greenstone, 900-400 BCE. Mexico. This mask is too small to be worn on the face, therefore it could have been jewellery or part of a headdress. The Olmec ruled in Mexico from about 1400 to 400 BCE. They built the first cities...

Statue of Mithras. Marble, 100-200 CE. Rome, Italy. After Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, pagan worship was persecuted, including the cult of the god Mithras. Today we know little about the beliefs and practices...

Hypatia of Alexandria portrayed by Rachel Weisz in the motion picture "Agora".

A red-figure krater depicting the Argonauts and Hercules who joined Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. 4650-450 BCE. (Louvre Museum, Paris)

A marble relief showing the fate of Ixion who was tied to an ever-spinning wheel in Hades. 1st-2nd century CE. (Archaeological Museum of Side, Turkey)

An Egyptian protective amulet in the form of the Eye of Horus (wedjat). Earthenware, 6th-4th century BCE. (Louvre Museum, Paris)