Images

A gold coin depicting Byzantine empress Irene (r. 797-802 CE). (Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome)

This ivory plaque fragment shows Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus of Byzantium (r. 913-959 CE) being crowned by Jesus Christ. It was carved in royal workshops of Constantinople around 954 CE. (Pushkin Museum, Moscow...

This Trojan bronze idol figurine is comparable with bronze and terracotta idols of the late 3rd millennium BCE from Anataolia and also the Balkans. It shares some similarities with the small, bronze idols of the Levant and...

This fragment of limestone contains text in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that was found in the pyramid of Pharaoh Pepi I Meryre (r. c. 2335–2285 BCE). (Pushkin Museum, Moscow)

This sandstone stela was made in what is present-day Egypt around 66 CE. The script is in Demotic. Parthenios oversaw the finances at the Temple of Isis in Koptos (modern Qift, Egypt) from c. 18-63 CE. This stela details an...

This clay stamp seal was made in what is now present-day Armenia around the 4th-3rd century BCE. (Metsamor Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve, Taronik, Armenia)

This belt-fragment is made of silver and coated in gold. It was made during the 11-12th century BCE in what is present-day Armenia. (Metsamor Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve, Taronik, Armenia)

This belt is made of bronze and originated in the Van Kingdom of ancient Urartu. It dates from the 8th-6th century BCE. (Metsamor Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve, Taronik, Armenia)

Two clay grenades which were designed to be filled with the flammable liquid known as Greek Fire and launched at the enemy. Greek Fire was first used in the Byzantine empire in 678 CE. These examples date to between the 10th...

A 12th century CE illustration of the Byzantine weapon Greek Fire in action. The weapon sprayed a petroleum-based liquid to set ablaze anything in its path, especially ships. Here the battle is between ships of Michael II and those...