Images

A soapstone sculpture depicting a cup fixed on the back of standing animals. From Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq); location and date of excavation are unknown. Circa 3000 BCE. (The Pergamon Museum, Berlin).

The jade death mask of Maya king Kinich Janaab Pakal, c. 683 CE, Palenque. (National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City)

The cuneiform inscriptions on this door socket mention the name of Shalmaneser III, King of Assyria (858-824 BCE). The king dedicated the stone to the gods Anu and Adad for his life and the well-being of his people. From Anu-Adad temple at...

The Temple of the Sun at the Maya city of Palenque, Mexico. The temple was built in the late 7th century CE as part of the complex known as the Group of the Cross by King K'an Bahlam.

This incense burner was found at the so-called Archaic Ishtar Temple at Assur (Ashur). Incineration of various substances was an important event during sacrificial ceremonies. From Assur, northern Mesopotamia, Iraq. 2400 BCE. (The Pergamon...

This rock relief lies on the cliff of Hareer Mountain, which looks over the modern village of Patas and Hareer, Erbil Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. The relief depicts a standing man who wears a hat, raises his right arm, and holds a long...

The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico. The pyramid was completed c. 682 CE and used as the tomb of the Maya king Kinich Janaab Pacal (r. 615-683 CE).

Mausoleum of Theodoric the Great, Ravenna, Italy, 520 CE. Built by Theodoric to be his tomb.

Mosaic depiction of the Palace of Theodoric in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy, 561 CE. The figures of Theodoric the Great and others were blackened out of the image under Pope Gregory the Great. You can still see...

The Palace building of Palenque. With the northern half and tower dating to c. 721 CE, the structure is one of the most complex in Maya architecture and its square tower is unique in Mesoamerican sites.