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Lespugue Venus carved from tusk ivory, Gravettian culture circa 26,000-24,000 BP. It displays the earliest representation found of spun thread, as the carving shows a skirt hanging below the hips, made of twisted fibers, frayed at the end. Musee de l'Homme Paris, France

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Lespugue Venus carved from tusk ivory, Gravettian culture circa 26,000-24,000 BP. It displays the earliest representation found of spun thread, as the carving shows a skirt hanging below the hips, made of twisted fibers, frayed at the end. Musee de l'Homme Paris, France

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The Lady with the Hood or Venus of Brassempouy , France. This 1,44" high fragmentary ivory figurine from the Upper Paleolithic was carved from a mammoth tusk. It is one of the oldest busts ever found and one of the earliest known realistic representations of a human face...

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The Lady with the Hood or Venus of Brassempouy , France. This 1,44" high fragmentary ivory figurine from the Upper Paleolithic was carved from a mammoth tusk. It is one of the oldest busts ever found and one of the earliest known realistic representations of a human face...

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Venus of Brassempouy; an ivory female head, broken part of larger figure. An artifact of the Gravettian culture of the Upper Palaeolithic period. Discovered at the Grotte du Pape, Brassempouy, France, & dated to 25000 BP ca. Musée d'Archéologie Nationale , nr. MAN 47019

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Venus of Brassempouy; an ivory female head, broken part of larger figure. An artifact of the Gravettian culture of the Upper Palaeolithic period. Discovered at the Grotte du Pape, Brassempouy, France, & dated to 25000 BP ca. Musée d'Archéologie Nationale , nr. MAN 47019

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Partially preserved marble head of a woman from Roman times - probably Venus . According to the researchers, the oxidation of the sculpture's brown eyelashes created tear-like spots. The object was discovered in Athens. It is now on display at the Acropolis museum.

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Partially preserved marble head of a woman from Roman times - probably Venus . According to the researchers, the oxidation of the sculpture's brown eyelashes created tear-like spots. The object was discovered in Athens. It is now on display at the Acropolis museum.

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Carved ivory side panel from a casket, depicting a legend of an enchanted bed where the Arthurian knight Gawain is attacked by lions and mechanical arrows. Paris, ca. 1300-1350. Princeton University Art Museum collection

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Carved ivory side panel from a casket, depicting a legend of an enchanted bed where the Arthurian knight Gawain is attacked by lions and mechanical arrows. Paris, ca. 1300-1350. Princeton University Art Museum collection

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An Ivory wheel from Sungir, Russia, possibly originally mounted on a spear. It may have had feathers or other decorations attached using the beautifully carved holes in the disk. 30,500-30,000 BCE

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An Ivory wheel from Sungir, Russia, possibly originally mounted on a spear. It may have had feathers or other decorations attached using the beautifully carved holes in the disk. 30,500-30,000 BCE

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The granite Stela 11 from Kaminaljuyu, in Guatemala, portrays one of the earliest Maya rulers dressed as a divine being. The king's branching headdress expresses his personification as the world tree that unites the layers of the heavens, earth and underworld. 200-50 BCE

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The granite Stela 11 from Kaminaljuyu, in Guatemala, portrays one of the earliest Maya rulers dressed as a divine being. The king's branching headdress expresses his personification as the world tree that unites the layers of the heavens, earth and underworld. 200-50 BCE

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Seven tools of rock crystal made by the Neanderthals, found at the Abri des Merveilles in France. Middle Paleolithic, Mousterian culture, c. 160,000–40,000 Before Present. Now housed at the National Archaeological Museum of France

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Seven tools of rock crystal made by the Neanderthals, found at the Abri des Merveilles in France. Middle Paleolithic, Mousterian culture, c. 160,000–40,000 Before Present. Now housed at the National Archaeological Museum of France

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A 15,000-year-old baton made from a reindeer antler, and depicts a leaping horse. Found at the Bruniquel Cave, and is now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Saint-Germain en Laye, France

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A 15,000-year-old baton made from a reindeer antler, and depicts a leaping horse. Found at the Bruniquel Cave, and is now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Saint-Germain en Laye, France

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Detail crop of another glazed-brick lion from the Frieze of Lions on the first court of Darius I’s palace at Susa, Persian Empire, 500 BC. This one, which is presented apart from the rest at the Louvre Museum, displays a richer variety of colors than others on the same frieze....

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Detail crop of another glazed-brick lion from the Frieze of Lions on the first court of Darius I’s palace at Susa, Persian Empire, 500 BC. This one, which is presented apart from the rest at the Louvre Museum, displays a richer variety of colors than others on the same frieze....

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These sewing needles, found at grotte du Placard in France, were made from animal bone some 15,000 years ago. Now housed at the National Archaeological Museum of France

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These sewing needles, found at grotte du Placard in France, were made from animal bone some 15,000 years ago. Now housed at the National Archaeological Museum of France

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Fragment with engraved decoration, possibly from a handle. Old Bering Sea II culture, Alaska, ca. 100-300 AD. Walrus ivory. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection

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Fragment with engraved decoration, possibly from a handle. Old Bering Sea II culture, Alaska, ca. 100-300 AD. Walrus ivory. Metropolitan Museum of Art collection

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The Farhād Tarāsh is a huge carved surface on Mount Behistun in Iran. It was probably prepared for an inscription of Darius the Great or to be the site for a palace of a Sasanian king. The bottom picture shows a human for scale

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The Farhād Tarāsh is a huge carved surface on Mount Behistun in Iran. It was probably prepared for an inscription of Darius the Great or to be the site for a palace of a Sasanian king. The bottom picture shows a human for scale

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The Lion Man statue is the oldest known carving in the world. It was carved from mammoth ivory and is believed to be 40,000 years old .

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The Lion Man statue is the oldest known carving in the world. It was carved from mammoth ivory and is believed to be 40,000 years old .

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A Memento Mori carved in ivory. Very little is known about this piece, only that it was listed in the Catalogue of the Ivory Carvings of the Christian Era, by Ormonde Maddock Dalton, in 1909 and was described as being European from the 17th century

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A Memento Mori carved in ivory. Very little is known about this piece, only that it was listed in the Catalogue of the Ivory Carvings of the Christian Era, by Ormonde Maddock Dalton, in 1909 and was described as being European from the 17th century

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A self-portrait medallion of Jean Fouquet, originally part of the frame of the Melun Diptych. Fouquet is shown frontally, his gold image is engraved into the black enamel background and framed by his name. Made in 1450 CE, now housed at the Louvre Museum

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A self-portrait medallion of Jean Fouquet, originally part of the frame of the Melun Diptych. Fouquet is shown frontally, his gold image is engraved into the black enamel background and framed by his name. Made in 1450 CE, now housed at the Louvre Museum

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Goddess of Hayyan, Nabatean Kingdom, 1st-2nd century AD, Jordan. This limestone carving is the most human-like example of an eye betyl found in Petra so far. The betyl is not a representation of the God or an idol, but a medium of the presence of the God so it can be venerated...

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Goddess of Hayyan, Nabatean Kingdom, 1st-2nd century AD, Jordan. This limestone carving is the most human-like example of an eye betyl found in Petra so far. The betyl is not a representation of the God or an idol, but a medium of the presence of the God so it can be venerated...

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A 140 million year femur bone, it is approximately 2 meters long weighs 1102 lb was found in France. the discovery was made by paleontologists researching at the National Museum of Natural History of Paris

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A 140 million year femur bone, it is approximately 2 meters long weighs 1102 lb was found in France. the discovery was made by paleontologists researching at the National Museum of Natural History of Paris

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