Images

These are fragments from a ritual stand that was made from clay at the ancient Shengavit Settlement (c. 3500-2200 BCE) in present-day Armenia. (Shengavit Museum, Yerevan).

An arca was a lockable strongbox for storing money and other valuables. Often placed in the atrium, the public area of the house, as a display of wealth and power. This one is decorated with a worshipper offering a sacrifice at an altar to...

A 13th century CE wooden printing plate and paper bank note from the Chinese Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 CE). (Tokyo Currency Museum)

A detail of the wall paintings in the Han era Dahuting tomb showing two women. 25-220 CE. Zhengzhou, Henan province, China.

Alabaster bas-relief depicting a war scene. Neo-Assyrian Period, 865-860 BCE. Panel 18 (top) of Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)

Alabaster bas-relief depicting Shalmaneser III, Ashurnasirpal II’s son, attacking a city. Neo-Assyrian Period, 865-860 BCE. Detail of Panel 4 (bottom), Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)

Alabaster bas-relief depicting Assyrian archers attacking a city. Neo-Assyrian Period, 865-860 BCE. Detail of Panel 4 (bottom), Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)

Alabaster bas-relief depicting an attack on a city by the Assyrian army. Detail of Panel 5 (bottom), Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq, Neo-Assyrian Empire, 865-860 BCE. The British Museum, London.

Alabaster bas-relief depicting an overwhelming Assyrian attack on a city. Neo-Assyrian Period, 865-860 BCE. Detail of Panel 5 (bottom), Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)

Alabaster bas-relief depicting Assyrian soldiers using iron crowbars. Neo-Assyrian Period, 865-860 BCE. Detail of Panel 4 (bottom), Room B, the North-Palace Palace, Nimrud, modern-day Iraq. (The British Museum, London)