ANCIENT ART

Detail from the Etruscan Larthia Seianti sarcophagus, About...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:01:22 -0500

Detail from the Etruscan Larthia Seianti sarcophagus, About 175-150 AD, From Chiusi, Siena.

The cover of this terracotta sarcophagus depicts Larthia Seianti, a rich lady lived in the South Tuscany near Chiusi. The woman is portrayed lying-down on a kline. She is wearing a sumptuous and colorful clothing, and her figure is adorned by rich jewelry. The left arm is leaning against two colored cushions; her left hand, with the fingers richly decorated by rings, holds a round mirror. Her right hand puts away from the face the cloak covering her head.

A diadem made by flowers, presumably a wreath, embellishes her hair. A necklace decorated with a medallion representing Medusa’s head, is hanging around her neck. Two gold coronation bracelets, armillas, and red earrings in the shape of acorns complete the ornament of Larthia Seianti. (x)

Courtesy & currently located at the Museo Archeologico Etrusco, Florence.

The remains of the Roman Temple of Apollo, where four Corinthian...

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:01:26 -0500

The remains of the Roman Temple of Apollo, where four Corinthian columns yet stand. Located in Riez, southeastern France.

Photo courtesy & taken by maarjaara.

The Incan archaeological site of Rumiqullqa, Peru. It is...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:01:38 -0500

The Incan archaeological site of Rumiqullqa, Peru. It is located in the Cusco Region, Quispicanchi Province, Lucre District.

Photos courtesy & taken by Håkan Svensson.

Ceiling with Nekhbet, mortuary temple of Ramses III, Medinet...

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:01:18 -0500

Ceiling with Nekhbet, mortuary temple of Ramses III, Medinet Habu, Theban Necropolis, Egypt.

Photo courtesy & taken by Rémih

The extraordinary Treasure of El Carambolo, which was found...

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:02:43 -0500

The extraordinary Treasure of El Carambolo, which was found in El Carambolo, Spain, 1958 during renovations being made at a pigeon shooting society. The hoard was thought to be buried in the 6th century BCE.

The discovery of the Treasure of El Carambolo sparked interest in the Tartessos culture, though it is still under debate whether these treasures were a product of local culture, or of the Phoenicians.

Courtesy & currently located at the Archaeological Museum of Seville, Spain. Photos taken by José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro.

The Archaic Greek Lion of Kea, thought to date to around the 6th...

Sun, 19 May 2013 22:10:00 -0500

The Archaic Greek Lion of Kea, thought to date to around the 6th century BC, sculptor unknown. Ioulida, island of Kea.

Though much ambiguity still surrounds this stone carved smiling lion, it is thought relate to the mythology of Kea, which was once known as “The Water Island”

The island was considered to be inhabited by water Nymphs. Due to its exceptional beauty, the Gods were jealous of the island and sent a lion down to ravage it of its beauty. The lion drove all the Nymphs out of the island and the island dried out.

The inhabitants of Kea then asked Apollo’s son, Aristaeus for help and he built a temple to the mightiest of all Gods, Zeus. This act pleased Zeus and he brought rain to the island and the nymphs back to it, as well. (x)

Photos courtesy & taken by Phso2

The exceptionally well preserved wall paintings on the north...

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:03:05 -0500

The exceptionally well preserved wall paintings on the north side of Xu Xianxiu’s Tomb, Shanxi, China.

This tomb dates to the Northern Qi Dynasty, 550 to 577 AD.

Photo via Wiki Commons

The Ancient Egyptian Famine-stela on Sehel Island, near Aswan....

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:01:04 -0500

The Ancient Egyptian Famine-stela on Sehel Island, near Aswan. It is thought to date to the Ptolemaic dynasty, 332–31 BC, though speaks of the reign of 3rd dynasty king Djoser.

Photo courtesy & taken by HoremWeb

urheritage: A Babylonian infant, buried in a pottery jar. A...

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:07:13 -0500

urheritage:

A Babylonian infant, buried in a pottery jar. A personal tragedy of nearly four thousand years ago.

urheritage: Dr Eleanor Robson reads the Babylonian tablet

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:04:27 -0500

urheritage:

Dr Eleanor Robson reads the Babylonian tablet

The Ancient Roman Gravestone of Helena, about A.D. 150 - 200,...

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:02:53 -0500

The Ancient Roman Gravestone of Helena, about A.D. 150 - 200, marble.

Courtesy & currently located at the Getty Villa, Malibu:

A Maltese dog in the architectural setting of a naiskos, or small shrine, decorates this Roman grave relief. The inscription on the relief reads, “To Helena, foster daughter, the incomparable and worthy soul.”

Was the Helena commemorated by this sculpture a dog or a girl? The Romans made grave reliefs for animals, but these usually took a different form and their inscriptions specify that they were intended for an animal. On the other hand, funerary monuments for children often show the child with a favorite pet. In this instance, however, the pet is shown alone, which might be more appropriate if Helena was not a high-born Roman. The inscription appears to support this interpretation because the word alumnus, although here translated as “foster daughter,” can also mean a slave raised in the house.

Photo taken by Wolfgang Sauber

The Antenna Dagger from Siedelberg-Pfaffstätt, of the Hallstatt...

Fri, 17 May 2013 23:00:48 -0500

The Antenna Dagger from Siedelberg-Pfaffstätt, of the Hallstatt culture, (~800-450 BC) early Iron Age, central Europe.

Courtesy & currently located at the Castle museums in Linz, Austria. Photo taken by Wolfgang Sauber

Section from the Bronze Age rock carvings in Tanum, Sweden. The...

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:02:49 -0500

Section from the Bronze Age rock carvings in Tanum, Sweden.

The rock carvings in Tanum, in the north of Bohuslän, are a unique artistic achievement not only for their rich and varied motifs (depictions of humans and animals, weapons, boats and other subjects) but also for their cultural and chronological unity. They reveal the life and beliefs of people in Europe during the Bronze Age and are remarkable for their large numbers and outstanding quality.

You can read more about this site on UNESCO World Heritage.

Photo courtesy & taken by Bjoertvedt

Ancient Mayan stucco head, Classic Period (300-900), originates...

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:01:04 -0500

Ancient Mayan stucco head, Classic Period (300-900), originates from the Usumacinta region.

Courtesy & currently located at the Musées Royaux d’art et d’Histoire, Brussels, Belgium. Photo taken by Michel wal.

Ancient Greek black-figure ceramic showing scenes from the...

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:03:26 -0500

Ancient Greek black-figure ceramic showing scenes from the Trojan War. Attributed to Detroit Painter, Column krater, between circa 590 and circa 570 BC.

Upper frieze: the marriage of Helen and Paris; sirens under the handles facing toward the front of the vessel. Lower frieze with animals: goats and panthers. Sphinxes are painted on the flat surface of the handles.

Courtesy & currently located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo taken by Xuan Che

Cucuruzzu, a prehistoric archaeological site in Corsica, located...

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:01:05 -0500

Cucuruzzu, a prehistoric archaeological site in Corsica, located in the commune of Levie, France.

Archaeological excavations suggest that the site dates back to about 7,000 years BC, and was occupied until the Middle Ages. The citadel shown in the first photo is from the Bronze Age.

Photos courtesy & taken by Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Viking ship. The ships in this museum were excavated from the...

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:02:59 -0500

Viking ship. The ships in this museum were excavated from the burial sites of prominent vikings - the vikings believed that the deceased could bring the material belongings buried with them into the afterlife.

Courtesy & currently located at the Viking Ship Museum, Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo. Photo taken by Grzegorz Wysocki

Sheet gold finger and toe coverings, plus sandals, from the tomb...

Tue, 14 May 2013 23:00:41 -0500

Sheet gold finger and toe coverings, plus sandals, from the tomb of three minor wives of Thutmose III at Wady Gabbanat el-Qurud, circa 1479-1425 B.C.

Courtesy & currently located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Photo taken by Keith Schengili-Roberts

Priest-King or Diety, about 1600 BC, Hittite, North Syria,...

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:02:41 -0500

Priest-King or Diety, about 1600 BC, Hittite, North Syria, basalt with bone eyes.

Courtesy & currently located at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio, USA. Photo taken by Daderot

Ancient Roman Garland Sarcophagus, made of Dokimeion marble, and...

Mon, 13 May 2013 23:00:49 -0500

Ancient Roman Garland Sarcophagus, made of Dokimeion marble, and dates to between 150 and 180 (Imperial).

Courtesy & currently located at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, USA:

Unlike many sarcophagi, this one is carved on all four sides in high relief. Garlands held by winged goddesses or personifications on the corners and Eros (Cupid) figures on the sides support the busts of a crowned deity (left) and a young girl (right). The sarcophagus was probably intended for her. In the center, on both the front and back, is a theatrical mask-on this side Tragedy, on the other, Comedy. Medusa heads decorate the ends. The lid takes the form of a temple roof with a pediment (triangular gable) at each end.

This sarcophagus can be traced to a particular workshop active near the ancient quarry of Dokimeion in Phrygia in Asia Minor. Its discovery in Rome illustrates the long-distance trade in even very large, heavy luxury goods that took place at the height of the Roman Empire.