Images

Roman gold and saphire ring, second half of the 2nd century CE. The ring has a garnet centre stone. From an unidentified marble sarcophagus in Rome. (Palazzo Massimo, Rome)

A reproduction of the sarcophagus lid of the Maya ruler of Palenque, King Pakal the Great, also known as K'inich Janaab' Pacal (23 March 603 CE - 31 March 683 CE). In this detail the king is falling into the terrible jaws of the Maya underworld...

A gold and garnet ring from Agrigento, Sicily, 3rd century BCE. (Archaeological Museum of Agrigento).

A gold Mycenaean brooch in the form of an octopus, Mycenae, mid 2nd millenium BCE. (Archaeological Museum, Mycenae)

Theodoric (known as Theodoric the Great and Flavius Theodoricus, 451 or 454 - 526 CE), the king of the Ostrogoths and Roman emperor 493-526 CE.

An alabaster pendant in the shape of a bird. From southern Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Circa 3000 BCE. The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, Scotland. UK.

A fragment of an alabster bas-relief which depicts an Elamite archer (in a war scene?). This is an enemy of Assyria. He is identified by his headband, hair style, and trimmed beard. The Elamites, in modern-day Western Iran, were conquered...

A fragment of an alabaster bas-relief which depicts Assyrian cavalrymen (in a war scene?). From Kuyunjik (modern-day Ninawa Governorate, Iraq). Neo-Assyrian period, reign of Ashurbanipal, 668-627 BCE. The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, Scotland...

This skull was excavated from the cairn of Clachaig Falls on Arran in 1900 CE. With this skull, the skeletons of 14 men, women, and children were also discovered. The skull belonged to a young adult male; he was probably a farmer. Neolithic...

Before entering this columbarium, which is in the garden of the residence of the British Amabassador to Italy, I had to sign a waiver to the effect that I would not hold HM Government responsible for any mishap. And from the state of the...