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Stuccoed and painted freize on the wall outside the destrictarium of the Stabian Baths. The destrictarium is where the Pompeiians scraped the oils and dirt from their skin using strigils. Below is a possible color reconstruction of the freize from the 1859. Pompeii, Italy.

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Stuccoed and painted freize on the wall outside the destrictarium of the Stabian Baths. The destrictarium is where the Pompeiians scraped the oils and dirt from their skin using strigils. Below is a possible color reconstruction of the freize from the 1859. Pompeii, Italy.

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Detail of the painted stuccowork of the tepidarium , Forum Baths, Pompeii c. 70 AD. The panel depicts smaller white figures and two bigger ones: a winged figure with a bow , and the abduction of the Trojan prince Ganymede by Zeus in the form of an eagle…

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Detail of the painted stuccowork of the tepidarium , Forum Baths, Pompeii c. 70 AD. The panel depicts smaller white figures and two bigger ones: a winged figure with a bow , and the abduction of the Trojan prince Ganymede by Zeus in the form of an eagle…

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Part of the painted stuccowork at the tepidarium , Forum Baths, Pompeii c. 70 AD. The panel depicts smaller white figures and the abduction of the Trojan prince Ganymede by Zeus in the form of an eagle, in relief against a background painted in red, white, or violet…

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Part of the painted stuccowork at the tepidarium , Forum Baths, Pompeii c. 70 AD. The panel depicts smaller white figures and the abduction of the Trojan prince Ganymede by Zeus in the form of an eagle, in relief against a background painted in red, white, or violet…

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The costumes of kings, royal mothers and a bishop from medieval Nubia have been reconstructed by Polish scientists and designers based on 10th-13th centuries CE paintings that once decorated the walls of the cathedral in Faras, Sudan

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The costumes of kings, royal mothers and a bishop from medieval Nubia have been reconstructed by Polish scientists and designers based on 10th-13th centuries CE paintings that once decorated the walls of the cathedral in Faras, Sudan

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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 Petelia Tablet from Ancient Greece, c.300-150 BCE: this "passport for the dead" provides instructions on where to go and what to say after crossing into the Greek Underworld, and it was supposed to allow a dead person to obtain special privileges in the afterlife

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The Petelia Tablet from Ancient Greece, c.300-150 BCE: this "passport for the dead" provides instructions on where to go and what to say after crossing into the Greek Underworld, and it was supposed to allow a dead person to obtain special privileges in the afterlife

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Minoan Bull Leaping Fresco, Crete, 1650 BC. This colorful painting is the most completely restored stucco panel from Knossos Palace. Bull-leaping is considered a key ritual in Minoan religion. As in other Mediterranean civilizations, bulls were venerated and worshiped...

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Minoan Bull Leaping Fresco, Crete, 1650 BC. This colorful painting is the most completely restored stucco panel from Knossos Palace. Bull-leaping is considered a key ritual in Minoan religion. As in other Mediterranean civilizations, bulls were venerated and worshiped...

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A Chancay manta from Peru, made of cotton/wool textile, 1000-1476 CE, now housed at the Arizona State Museum. The manta is rich red in color with polychrome feline motifs , and was used possibly as a blanket, wrap-around skirt, or wall hanging

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A Chancay manta from Peru, made of cotton/wool textile, 1000-1476 CE, now housed at the Arizona State Museum. The manta is rich red in color with polychrome feline motifs , and was used possibly as a blanket, wrap-around skirt, or wall hanging

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Roman wall fresco depicting Silenus, the god of nature, watching Amor and Pan fighting each other. The struggle itself is interpreted as a rivalry between love and desire. The object adorned the walls of the Meleager House in Pompeii.

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Roman wall fresco depicting Silenus, the god of nature, watching Amor and Pan fighting each other. The struggle itself is interpreted as a rivalry between love and desire. The object adorned the walls of the Meleager House in Pompeii.

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Seated figure and stone columns with niches for human skulls from the ancient Celtic sanctuary of Roquepertuse in France. 3rd century BCE. The reconstruction in the bottom image shows how the architecture and sculptures were all originally painted

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Seated figure and stone columns with niches for human skulls from the ancient Celtic sanctuary of Roquepertuse in France. 3rd century BCE. The reconstruction in the bottom image shows how the architecture and sculptures were all originally painted

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The Hammerum Girl found in grave 83 at the Hammerum burial site in Denmark, 78-313 CE. All that remain of the deceased was her hair and her clothing, but it was the best-preserved Danish Iron Age textile from an inhumation grave. The picture on the right is a reconstruction of her dress

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The Hammerum Girl found in grave 83 at the Hammerum burial site in Denmark, 78-313 CE. All that remain of the deceased was her hair and her clothing, but it was the best-preserved Danish Iron Age textile from an inhumation grave. The picture on the right is a reconstruction of her dress

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A painted round table from one of the dining rooms at villa Moregine in Pompeii. The table has a marble top from the centre of which water flowed to enhance the dining experience. The beds were faced with marble, and a small channel ran around inside them and was fed by 14 water jets

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A painted round table from one of the dining rooms at villa Moregine in Pompeii. The table has a marble top from the centre of which water flowed to enhance the dining experience. The beds were faced with marble, and a small channel ran around inside them and was fed by 14 water jets

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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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A fresco from Pompeii showing the kiss of a Roman couple. Above is the inscription: NOLO CUM MYRTALE, which can be translated as: "I don't want to with Myrtale".

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A fresco from Pompeii showing the kiss of a Roman couple. Above is the inscription: NOLO CUM MYRTALE, which can be translated as: "I don't want to with Myrtale".

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Pompeian fresco depicting Theseus after killing the Minotaur. The fresco is not large. In the past, it was the central panel of a larger painting. It was like a painting hung in the middle of the wall and the attention of the person entering the room was supposed to focus on it.

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Pompeian fresco depicting Theseus after killing the Minotaur. The fresco is not large. In the past, it was the central panel of a larger painting. It was like a painting hung in the middle of the wall and the attention of the person entering the room was supposed to focus on it.

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Fresco of woman and centaur, third Pompeian Style, 20 BC-45 AD, Pompeii, Italy. Found in the triclinium of the Villa of Cicero , this is one of five figures of people and centaurs painted aligned in fine detail on a panel about 28" wide and less than 10" high.

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Fresco of woman and centaur, third Pompeian Style, 20 BC-45 AD, Pompeii, Italy. Found in the triclinium of the Villa of Cicero , this is one of five figures of people and centaurs painted aligned in fine detail on a panel about 28" wide and less than 10" high.

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While preparing for construction of a housing development in Stuttgart, Germany, an ancient horse cemetery with more than 100 burials was discovered that was used by the Roman cavalry unit stationed nearby in the second century C.E.

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While preparing for construction of a housing development in Stuttgart, Germany, an ancient horse cemetery with more than 100 burials was discovered that was used by the Roman cavalry unit stationed nearby in the second century C.E.

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