Images

This richly decorated Sasanian sword and scabbard was produced in 7th Century CE. The Sasanians adopted this style of sword from the Huns, a nomadic people who came into conflict with the Sasanian Empire in the 5th Century CE. Iron blade...

A 10th Century CE steel sword, likely made in Scandinavia. The high quality of the pattern-welded steel blade, and beautiful decoration on the hilt, indicates that it was owned by a high status warrior. Steel blade, decorated with copper...

A straight bronze sword from the Egyptian New Kingdom. Length: 52 cm (20 1.2 in). Thebes, Egypt. 18th Dynasty, 1550–1458 BCE. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

A bronze, double-edged straight sword from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Decorated with turqoise and gold. Warring States Period, c. early 5th century BCE. China. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute)

Japanese steel katana and scabbard. Decorated with cord, iron, silver, gold, and shibuichi alloy. c. 1596–1615 CE. Yamato, Japan. (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum)

The "Oxborough dirk" is a giant, ceremonial dirk found near Oxborough in Norfolk, England. It is one of only six giant dirks found across Europe. The oversized copper alloy sword measures 70.9 centimetres (27.9 in) in length, weighing 2.37...

Map of the Kingdom of Kush (c. 2400 BCE - 350 CE), showing the location of major cities, Kushite pyramids, and trade routes in what is now modern Sudan. Kush's close proximity to Egypt saw trade and cultural exchange as early as 2400 BCE...

Map showing the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flowing from north to south into the Persian Gulf, and the Nile River flowing from south to north into the Mediterranean Sea.

This rectangular tile depicts a stylized view of Mecca, with the black-shrouded Ka‘ba in the center of the Masjid al-Haram and other buildings within and around the holy sanctuary. It is part of a larger material corpus related to the Hajj...

On this red-figure amphora, a seated woman plays with a ball, while a goose sits at her feet. Made c. 470-460BCE, Attica. Found in Nola, Italy. Height: 27.9 cm (10.9 in). (Image courtesy of the British Museum)