Two Scythians tying a rope. This is one of the few existing representations of the ancient Scythians. Found on a Greek Electrum Vase.

Scythians on a Greek Vase

Two Scythians tying a rope. This is one of the few existing representations of the ancient Scythians.…

A monument of Athenian foot soldier, found near Marathon.

Monument of a Greek Solider

A monument of Athenian foot soldier, found near Marathon.

A Tetradrachm (which is an ancient Greek coin) with the head of Seleucus.

Tetradrachm of Seleucus

A Tetradrachm (which is an ancient Greek coin) with the head of Seleucus.

A poster of ancient Babylonia: Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, soldiers, religion, writing, and structures.

Babylonia Poster

A poster of ancient Babylonia: Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, soldiers, religion, writing, and structures.

"A Persian boat (as shown on old monuments)." -Foster, 1921

Persian Boat

"A Persian boat (as shown on old monuments)." -Foster, 1921

"Assur, the chief Assyrian deity." -Foster, 1921

Assur

"Assur, the chief Assyrian deity." -Foster, 1921

"The printing press- originating at the middle of the fifteenth, the art of printing continued to be conducted until the middle of the seventeenth century in a very clumsy manner." -Lupton

Modern Printing Press

"The printing press- originating at the middle of the fifteenth, the art of printing continued to be…

He was a mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer. "The name of a line Graeco-Egyptain kings, who succeeded on the division of the empire of Alexander the Great, to the portion of his dominions of which Egypt was the head." -Marshall

Ptolemy in Profile

He was a mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer. "The name of a line Graeco-Egyptain…

Sir Walter Raleigh, navigator, warrior, statesman, and writer in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., was the second son of a gentleman of ancient family in Devonshire, and was born in 1552.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh, navigator, warrior, statesman, and writer in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I.,…

A species of masonry very common among the ancients, in which the stones are square and laid lozenge-wise, resembling the meshes of a net, and producing quite an ornamental appearance. It is the opus reticulate of the Romans.

Reticulated Work

A species of masonry very common among the ancients, in which the stones are square and laid lozenge-wise,…

"Two forms of the old Greek lyre." -Foster, 1921

Lyre

"Two forms of the old Greek lyre." -Foster, 1921

Mithridates VI, king of Pontus in Rome on a silver coin.

Mithridates

Mithridates VI, king of Pontus in Rome on a silver coin.

The bagpipe is a wind instrument used among the ancient Greeks but is known as a Scottish and Irish instrument.

Bagpipe

The bagpipe is a wind instrument used among the ancient Greeks but is known as a Scottish and Irish…

In ancient architecture, a sort of second plinth or block under a column statue, to raise it.

Scamillus

In ancient architecture, a sort of second plinth or block under a column statue, to raise it.

The Ancient Persian Throne was decorated to represent a king sitting on his throne borne-up by slaves.

Ancient Persian Throne

The Ancient Persian Throne was decorated to represent a king sitting on his throne borne-up by slaves.

A poster with various facts and images of Egypt.

Egypt Poster

A poster with various facts and images of Egypt.

The famous ancient Greek statue, Venus de Milo.

Venus de Milo

The famous ancient Greek statue, Venus de Milo.

Greek people standing and talking under a tree.

Greeks

Greek people standing and talking under a tree.

"In the Nile valley there had been found a few ancient inscriptions, carved upon stone in unknown characters, but no one could read them. The, about 1800 A.D., some soldiers of Napoleon in Egypt, while laying foundations for a fort, found a slab of black rock bearing three inscriptions. One of the inscriptions was in Greek, one was in the ancient hieroglyphics of the pyramids, and the third was in a later Egyptian writing, which had likewise been been forgotten." - West, 1904

Portion of Rosetta Stone

"In the Nile valley there had been found a few ancient inscriptions, carved upon stone in unknown characters,…

The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows.

Helmet

The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to…

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of red and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone that were deposited horizontally, but have now been tilted vertically and faulted by the immense mountain building forces caused by the uplift of the Pikes Peak massif.

Cathedral Spires in the Garden of the Gods, Colorado

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of red and white sandstones,…

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones.

Ruins at Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres…

The Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt circa 125 AD during Hadrian's reign. Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Catholic church. The Pantheon is currently the oldest standing domed structure in Rome.

The Pantheon at Rome

The Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient…

Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christian empire, see Christendom, successor to ancient Greece and Rome. Throughout the Middle Ages Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city, known as the Queen of Cities (Vasileuousa Polis).

The City of Constantinople (Byzantium)

Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christian empire, see Christendom, successor to ancient…

The Arles Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the southern French town of Arles.

Roman Amphitheatre at Arles

The Arles Amphitheatre is a Roman amphitheatre in the southern French town of Arles.

The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural ancestral region of Angeln, a modern district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Ancient Angeln preceded all modern national distinctions and was, therefore, probably not coterminous with the modern culture of the same region.

The Angli in Rome

The Angles is a modern English word for a Germanic-speaking people who took their name from the cultural…

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies the ancient priory church building and is one of the oldest churches in Great Britain. The tower dates from Norman times, and doubtless formed part of the building as restored after the Conquest.

Monkwearmouth Church

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies…

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies the ancient priory church building and is one of the oldest churches in Great Britain. The tower dates from Norman times, and doubtless formed part of the building as restored after the Conquest.

Jarrow Church Tower

The present parish church of St. Peter's at Wearmouth, on the north bank of the River Wear, occupies…

An illustration of an ancient Roman vase.

Roman Vase

An illustration of an ancient Roman vase.

An illustration of an ancient Roman oil vase.

Roman Oil Vase

An illustration of an ancient Roman oil vase.

A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. In addition to arming the Puritans to fight against later developments of the Roman Catholic tradition, these studies also led to the rediscovery of some ancient scruples.

A Puritan Soldier

A Puritan of 16th and 17th century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating…

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about two miles (3 km) north of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a National Nature Reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 meters (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 meters thick in places.

Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient…

The hospital was described as ancient in 1215 and was named after Thomas Becket — which suggests it may have been founded after 1173 when Becket was canonized. However, it is possible it was only renamed in 1173 and that it was founded when St. Mary Overie Priory founded in 1106 in Southwark. At the end of the 17th century, the hospital and church were largely rebuilt by Sir Robert Clayton, president of the hospital and a former Lord Mayor of the City of London. He employed Thomas Cartwright as architect.

St. Thomas's Hospital

The hospital was described as ancient in 1215 and was named after Thomas Becket — which suggests it…

From Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. An old mariner tells his tales to a young man who is on his way to a wedding.

Ancient Mariner

From Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. An old mariner tells his tales to a young man who…

The Tomb of Cyrus is the burial place of the ancient Cyrus the Great of Persia. Cyrus the Great was a Persian Shahenshah (or Emperor), who founded of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty. This empire thence expanded under his rule, as Cyrus eventually conquered the majority of Southwest Asia as well as much of Central Asia, from Egypt and the Hellespont to the Indus River in the east, to create the most expansive nation the world had seen up until that era.

Tomb of Cryus

The Tomb of Cyrus is the burial place of the ancient Cyrus the Great of Persia. Cyrus the Great was…

The Parthenon is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered one of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy, and is considered one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of restoration and reconstruction. Like most Greek temples, the Parthenon was used as a treasury, and for a time served as the treasury of the Delian League, which later became the Athenian Empire. In the 6th century AD, the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque in the early 1460s, and it even had a minaret. On 26 September 1687 an Ottoman ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In 1806, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin removed some of the surviving sculptures, with Ottoman permission. These sculptures, now known as the Elgin or Parthenon Marbles, were sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where they are now displayed. The Greek government is committed to the return of the sculptures to Greece, so far with no success.

Parthenon

The Parthenon is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis.…

An illustration of a man and woman standing in typical Roman clothing. Clothing in ancient Rome generally consisted of the toga, the stola, brooches for these, and breeches. The toga, a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a sash of perhaps twenty feet (6 meters) in length which was wrapped around the body and was generally worn over a tunic. The stola was the traditional garment of Roman women, corresponding to the toga that was worn by men. In ancient Rome, it was considered disgraceful for a woman to wear a toga; wearing the male garment was associated with prostitution. The stola was a long, pleated dress, worn over a tunic. A brooch (also known in ancient times as a fibula) is a decorative jewelry item designed to be attached to garments. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold but sometimes bronze or some other material.

Man and Woman in Roman Clothing

An illustration of a man and woman standing in typical Roman clothing. Clothing in ancient Rome generally…

An illustration of a Norse Galley. Norse is an adjective relating things to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Sweden. A galley is an ancient ship which can be propelled entirely by human oarsmen, used for warfare and trade. Oars are known from at least the time of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. Many galleys had masts and sails for use when the winds were favorable.

Norse Galley

An illustration of a Norse Galley. Norse is an adjective relating things to Norway, Denmark, Faroe Islands,…

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

Greek Sandal

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

Greek Sandal

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

Greek Sandal

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

Greek Sandal

A sandal worn in Ancient Greece.

A sandal worn in Ancient Rome. This sandal is different from Greek sandals because it has a vamp, or upper support.

Roman Sandal

A sandal worn in Ancient Rome. This sandal is different from Greek sandals because it has a vamp, or…

The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). It is native to Asia but has been widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird. In parts of its range, namely in places where none of its relatives occur such as in Europe (where it is naturalized), it is simply known as "the pheasant". It is a well-known gamebird, among those of more than regional importance perhaps the most widespread and ancient one in the whole world.

Common Pheasant

The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), is a bird in the pheasant family (Phasianidae). It is native…

"Sarcophagus from the Street of Tombs at Assos in the Troad, excavated by the Archaeological Institute of America." -Whitney, 1911

Sarcophagus

"Sarcophagus from the Street of Tombs at Assos in the Troad, excavated by the Archaeological Institute…

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge where the main load-bearing elements are hung from suspension cables. While modern suspension bridges with level decks date from the early 19th century, earlier types are reported from the 3rd century BC. Simple suspension bridges, for use by pedestrians and livestock, are still constructed, based upon the ancient Inca rope bridge.

Suspension Bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge where the main load-bearing elements are hung from suspension…

An illustration of a cocoanut palm's spadix. In botany, a spadix (pl. spadices) is a type of spike: an inflorescence with small flowers crowded on a thickened, fleshy axis. The term is applied to certain monocotyledons, especially members of the Family Araceae called arums or aroids. In these flower heads there is typically also a spathe (from Ancient Greek spathe "broad blade") present: a large, usually showy and solitary, bract that either subtends (lies just below) or partially encloses the spadix. The "flower" of the anthurium is a typical spadix with a large colorful spathe.

Cocoanut Palm Spadix

An illustration of a cocoanut palm's spadix. In botany, a spadix (pl. spadices) is a type of spike:…

One of the most important remains from the Viking age was found at the grave site Gokstadhaugen in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was found in 1880, and is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. A replica of Gokstad ship, called Gaia currently has Sandefjord as home port.

Norse Boat Unearthed at Sandefjord

One of the most important remains from the Viking age was found at the grave site Gokstadhaugen in Sandefjord.…

In architecture a corbel (or console) is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or parapet, has been used since Neolithic times. It is common in Medieval architecture and in the Scottish baronial style as well as in the Classical architectural vocabulary, such as the modillions of a Corinthian cornice and in ancient Chinese architecture.

Corbel

In architecture a corbel (or console) is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent…

An illustration of an Agathis branch. The genus Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammar, is a relatively small genus of 21 species of evergreen trees in the very ancient Araucariaceae family of conifers. While initially widespread during the Jurassic period they are now found only in small areas of the southern hemisphere. The trees have characteristically very large trunks and little or no branching for some way up. Young trees are normally conical in shape, only upon maturity does the crown become more rounded or irregularly shaped.

Agathis Branch

An illustration of an Agathis branch. The genus Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammar, is a relatively…

Willian de Wessyngton was a forebear of George Washington, the first President of the United States. Though it was not from Washington, Sunderland, that George Washington's great-grandfather John Washington left for Virginia, but from Essex, Washington Old Hall was the family home of George Washington's ancestors, and the present structure does incorporate small parts of the medieval home in which they lived.

Washington Old Hall

Willian de Wessyngton was a forebear of George Washington, the first President of the United States.…

The American Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a neotropical eagle, often simply called the Harpy Eagle. It is the only member of the genus Harpia. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas, usually inhabiting tropical lowland rainforests in the upper (emergent) canopy layer. Its name references the harpies from Ancient Greek mythology. These were wind spirits that took the dead to Hades, and were said to have a body like an eagle and the face of a human.

American Harpy Eagle

The American Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a neotropical eagle, often simply called the Harpy Eagle.…

A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos the word came to refer to the limestone that was thought to decompose the flesh of corpses interred within it.

Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus

A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word…

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was founded in 1400 BC. Known in the Egyptian language as ipet resyt, or "the southern harem", the temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was built during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple (ipet-isut) to stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility, hence its name.

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in…

An illustration of a column with a craving of Hathor. In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor) (Egyptian for house of Horus) was originally a personification of the Milky Way, which was seen as the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow. Hathor was an ancient goddess, and was worshipped as a cow-deity from at least 2700 BC.

Hathor's Column

An illustration of a column with a craving of Hathor. In Egyptian mythology, Hathor (Pronounced Hah-Thor)…

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was founded in 1400 BC. Known in the Egyptian language as ipet resyt, or "the southern harem", the temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Chons and was built during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple (ipet-isut) to stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility – whence its name.

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile in…

Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge or Paper Spurge) is a species of spurge native to southern Europe (France, Italy, Greece, and possibly southern England), northwest Africa, and eastward through southwest Asia to western China. Other names occasionally used include Gopher Spurge, Gopher Plant or Mole Plant.It is an erect biennial (occasionally annual) plant growing up to 1.5 m tall, with a glaucous blue-green stem. The leaves are arranged in decussate opposite pairs, and are lanceolate, 5-15 cm long and 1-2.5 cm broad, glaucous blue-green with a waxy texture and pale greenish-white midrib and veins. The flowers are green to yellow-green, 4 mm diameter, with no petals. The seeds are green ripening brown or grey, produced in globular clusters 13-17 mm diameter of three seeds compressed together.

Caper Spurge

Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge or Paper Spurge) is a species of spurge native to southern Europe (France,…

The so-called Common Fig (F. carica) is a temperate species from the Middle East and eastern Europe (mostly Ukraine), which has been widely cultivated from ancient times for its fruit, also referred to as figs. The fruit of most other species are also edible though they are usually of only local economic importance or eaten as bushfood. However, they are extremely important food resources for wildlife.

Fig

The so-called Common Fig (F. carica) is a temperate species from the Middle East and eastern Europe…

Woad (or glastum) is the common name of the flowering plant Isatis tinctoria in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica (a newer and invalid name for the same plant). It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem. Woad is also the name of a blue dye produced from the plant. Woad is native to the steppe and desert zones of the Caucasus, Central Asia to eastern Siberia and Western Asia (Hegi), but is now found in southeastern and some parts of Central Europe as well. It has been cultivated throughout Europe, especially in Western and southern Europe, since ancient times.

Woad

Woad (or glastum) is the common name of the flowering plant Isatis tinctoria in the family Brassicaceae.…

A man using a single scull to row a boat. Sculling was used by ancient Chinese, American Indians, and by gondola pilots.

Scull

A man using a single scull to row a boat. Sculling was used by ancient Chinese, American Indians, and…