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Head of a votive mace with a lion-headed eagle and 6 lions, dedicated at a shrine in Girsu, Iraq. Inscription in archaic script: “Mesilim, king of Kish, builder of the temple of Ningirsu, brought for Ningirsu, Lugalshaengur prince of Lagash”. c. 2550 BCE

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Head of a votive mace with a lion-headed eagle and 6 lions, dedicated at a shrine in Girsu, Iraq. Inscription in archaic script: “Mesilim, king of Kish, builder of the temple of Ningirsu, brought for Ningirsu, Lugalshaengur prince of Lagash”. c. 2550 BCE

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Votive stele of Gudea, Lord of Lagash , led by Ningishzida to a Goddess holding vessel of flowing water. His reign was largely peaceful and marked not by boasts of might, but his devotion to deities like Ningirsu, even foregoing the title of Lugal for more humble Ensi

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Votive stele of Gudea, Lord of Lagash , led by Ningishzida to a Goddess holding vessel of flowing water. His reign was largely peaceful and marked not by boasts of might, but his devotion to deities like Ningirsu, even foregoing the title of Lugal for more humble Ensi

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An Urartian copper alloy shield decorated with incised figures of lions and bulls, and inscribed with the name of the king Rusa III. This was one of several fragmentary shields which may have decorated the façade of the temple of Khaldi in Rusahinili, Turkey. 650 BCE, British Museum

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An Urartian copper alloy shield decorated with incised figures of lions and bulls, and inscribed with the name of the king Rusa III. This was one of several fragmentary shields which may have decorated the façade of the temple of Khaldi in Rusahinili, Turkey. 650 BCE, British Museum

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Sumerian sculptures of male and female worshippers, found in the Tell Asmar Hoard in Iraq. The big eyes of the votive figures symbolize vigilance and constant prayer, representing the figures' role as stand-ins for worshippers in continuous communication with the gods

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Sumerian sculptures of male and female worshippers, found in the Tell Asmar Hoard in Iraq. The big eyes of the votive figures symbolize vigilance and constant prayer, representing the figures' role as stand-ins for worshippers in continuous communication with the gods

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Remaining on the former site of Heungbeopsa Temple, this stele is dedicated to the great Buddhist monk Jingong . The main body with inscription was broken down, and its fragments were moved to National museum of Korea

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Remaining on the former site of Heungbeopsa Temple, this stele is dedicated to the great Buddhist monk Jingong . The main body with inscription was broken down, and its fragments were moved to National museum of Korea

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Assyrian Gypsum Wall-panel Relief showing a Colossal Lion Statue , which once guarded the entrance to the Temple of Ishtar from Nimrud . The cuneiform inscriptions on the statue mentions the name of King Ashurnasirpal II as the temple's builder.

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Assyrian Gypsum Wall-panel Relief showing a Colossal Lion Statue , which once guarded the entrance to the Temple of Ishtar from Nimrud . The cuneiform inscriptions on the statue mentions the name of King Ashurnasirpal II as the temple's builder.

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Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis of Athens, c. 420 BC. Dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike, this tiny shrine is the first fully Ionic temple on the Acropolis. It occupies a prominent place on the south west bastion corner to the right of the entrance, the Propylaea...

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Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis of Athens, c. 420 BC. Dedicated to the goddesses Athena and Nike, this tiny shrine is the first fully Ionic temple on the Acropolis. It occupies a prominent place on the south west bastion corner to the right of the entrance, the Propylaea...

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The Khaemwaset restoration inscriptions on the statue of Kawab , son of the 4th Dynasty king Khufu. The prince Khaemweset has been described as "the first Egyptologist" due to his efforts in identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples

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The Khaemwaset restoration inscriptions on the statue of Kawab , son of the 4th Dynasty king Khufu. The prince Khaemweset has been described as "the first Egyptologist" due to his efforts in identifying and restoring historic buildings, tombs and temples

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Wedding ring with Latin inscription on the band: "SELEVCE ET CVRACE VIVAS IN DEO = Seleucus and Kyriace, live in God!" Square seal plate with the facing busts of a married couple. The man's name indicates Syrian origin, the woman's Greek origin. 4th century AD

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Wedding ring with Latin inscription on the band: "SELEVCE ET CVRACE VIVAS IN DEO = Seleucus and Kyriace, live in God!" Square seal plate with the facing busts of a married couple. The man's name indicates Syrian origin, the woman's Greek origin. 4th century AD

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In the crypts beneath the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, Egypt, a relief from the Ptolemaic period depicts an elaborate menat necklace, acting as a divine amulet and counterweight, adorned with four Hathor-headed sistrums. 54-30 BCE

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In the crypts beneath the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, Egypt, a relief from the Ptolemaic period depicts an elaborate menat necklace, acting as a divine amulet and counterweight, adorned with four Hathor-headed sistrums. 54-30 BCE

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Deer skull fragment with inscription about the time and place of a king's hunting activities. China, Shang dynasty, around 1200 BC

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Deer skull fragment with inscription about the time and place of a king's hunting activities. China, Shang dynasty, around 1200 BC

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Diorite statue of Gudea, prince of Lagash, dedicated to the god Ningishzida. Gudea was a Sumerian ruler of the state of Lagash in Southern Mesopotamia, who ruled c. 2144–2124 BC, at a time when the center of Sumer was still ruled by the Gutian dynasty and the north by Akkad...

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Diorite statue of Gudea, prince of Lagash, dedicated to the god Ningishzida. Gudea was a Sumerian ruler of the state of Lagash in Southern Mesopotamia, who ruled c. 2144–2124 BC, at a time when the center of Sumer was still ruled by the Gutian dynasty and the north by Akkad...

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The gold engagement ring of the Serbian King Stefan Radoslav, made in 1219 CE. The ring has a massive head with an inscription in Greek in 7 rows: ”This is the engagement ring of Stefan, an offspring of Duka, and thus, Anne from the Komnin family, receive him in your embrace.”

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The gold engagement ring of the Serbian King Stefan Radoslav, made in 1219 CE. The ring has a massive head with an inscription in Greek in 7 rows: ”This is the engagement ring of Stefan, an offspring of Duka, and thus, Anne from the Komnin family, receive him in your embrace.”

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Pillow of Berenguela of Castile . The central medallion is formed by a crown with an Arabic inscription in cursive letters that frames the figures of two dancers facing each other around a schematic tree of life. The Museum of Medieval Textiles in Burgos, Spain

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Pillow of Berenguela of Castile . The central medallion is formed by a crown with an Arabic inscription in cursive letters that frames the figures of two dancers facing each other around a schematic tree of life. The Museum of Medieval Textiles in Burgos, Spain

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4th century mosaic Patriarch's basilica, Aquileia with Latin inscription: IANUARIU DE DEI DONO V P * DCCCLXX

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4th century mosaic Patriarch's basilica, Aquileia with Latin inscription: IANUARIU DE DEI DONO V P * DCCCLXX

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The cuneiform inscriptions on this pair of gold earrings state that these earrings were a gift from king Shulgi, the second King of Ur III Dynasty . Housed at the Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq.

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The cuneiform inscriptions on this pair of gold earrings state that these earrings were a gift from king Shulgi, the second King of Ur III Dynasty . Housed at the Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq.

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An inlaid turquoise bone found in Yin, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty in China. The oracle bone inscription describes a Shang king's hunting expedition. It is said hat the king went hunting at the foot of Mount Maishan, and killed a wild bull

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An inlaid turquoise bone found in Yin, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty in China. The oracle bone inscription describes a Shang king's hunting expedition. It is said hat the king went hunting at the foot of Mount Maishan, and killed a wild bull

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Excavations at the ancient city of Eridu, in Iraq, uncovered a sequence of 18 superimposed mudbrick temples built directly on top of one another over millennia . The temple, which began as a 2m×3m mud brick square with a niche, is dedicated to the god Enki

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Excavations at the ancient city of Eridu, in Iraq, uncovered a sequence of 18 superimposed mudbrick temples built directly on top of one another over millennia . The temple, which began as a 2m×3m mud brick square with a niche, is dedicated to the god Enki

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A tablet from Iraq, which tells the story of a man who was caught stealing a duck from the sacred meal of Ishtar, and waiting for his trial in the jail of the temple, kills the prison warden in order to escape, but then breaks his hip in an attempt to scale the temple walls. 626-539 BC

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A tablet from Iraq, which tells the story of a man who was caught stealing a duck from the sacred meal of Ishtar, and waiting for his trial in the jail of the temple, kills the prison warden in order to escape, but then breaks his hip in an attempt to scale the temple walls. 626-539 BC

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Sanxingdui head with gold foil mask: they were a civilization in China contemporary, but culturally different from Shang, the bronze age Chinese. They're known for their very distinctive and "un-Chinese" art style.

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Sanxingdui head with gold foil mask: they were a civilization in China contemporary, but culturally different from Shang, the bronze age Chinese. They're known for their very distinctive and "un-Chinese" art style.

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