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This coin, naming the ruler Commius, is probably the earliest evidence of writing in Britain. His name appears in its Celtic form, "COMMIOS". Later coins, such as those of his son Tincomarus, have inscriptions written in Latin. Gold coin...

A reconstruction of the gate of the Roman fort at Lunt (Coventry, UK)

A plan of the layout of a typical Roman fort. Buildings included barracks, accommodation for the commanding officer (praetorium), granaries (horrea), workshops (fabricae), a hospital (valetudinarium), a cistern, and in the case of larger...

In Egypt, the patron god of magic and medicine was Heka. He is often depicted as a man carrying a staff and knife, and ancient Egyptian doctors were called Priests of Heka. Magic was as integral a part of medical practice in ancient Egypt...

Sard gem engraved with a winged caduceus combined with a club. Heka, the patron god of magic and medicine in Egypt was said to have killed two serpents and entwined them on a staff as a symbol of his power; this symbol of the medical arts...

The London Medical Papyrus (c. 1629 BCE) is among the oldest medical texts in the world.

Anubis is the Egyptian god of mummification and the afterlife as well as the patron god of lost souls and the helpless. Modern reproduction.

Egyptian Ba amulet. The ba was a human-headed bird aspect of the soul, which could speed between earth and the heavens. Gold and stone inlay. 3rd century BCE. Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

The tomb of Silla general Kim Yu-sin (aka Kim Yushin, 595-673 CE) at Gyeongju, South Korea.

The coin was probably turned into jewellery after circulating for some time. The fact that it is was made from silver (and gold) suggests that coin jewellery was popular among elite and wealthy people. Silver drachm coin of the Sassanian...