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Erosion hides the lesser known fact that, before digging out the Treasury, the Nabateans chiseled the mountainside flat. The Treasury could have been centered on that huge vertical surface, but they placed it exactly so travelers would see it when arriving through the gorge. And awe.

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Erosion hides the lesser known fact that, before digging out the Treasury, the Nabateans chiseled the mountainside flat. The Treasury could have been centered on that huge vertical surface, but they placed it exactly so travelers would see it when arriving through the gorge. And awe.

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When you entered Petra through the long and narrow gorge that protected the entrance, the glimpse of the carved tomb we know as the Treasury would be the first impression of the city you'd get. The awe-striking effect still works after almost 2k years, even though...

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When you entered Petra through the long and narrow gorge that protected the entrance, the glimpse of the carved tomb we know as the Treasury would be the first impression of the city you'd get. The awe-striking effect still works after almost 2k years, even though...

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Nabatean-Roman Theater, 1st Century AD. Petra, Jordan. Dug out from the sandstone mountainside next to the main street of Petra, the cavea could seat up around 8,000 spectators after the Romans enlarged it slicing through some of the existing tombs. The stage wall was also Roman...

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Nabatean-Roman Theater, 1st Century AD. Petra, Jordan. Dug out from the sandstone mountainside next to the main street of Petra, the cavea could seat up around 8,000 spectators after the Romans enlarged it slicing through some of the existing tombs. The stage wall was also Roman...

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1,400 year old Silla crown found in a Gyeongju tomb. Along vertical gold extensions shaped like tree branches and deer antlers, the crown features tiny, heart-shaped perforations filled with jewel beetle wings. An illustration shows how the crown would have been worn in the 6th century

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1,400 year old Silla crown found in a Gyeongju tomb. Along vertical gold extensions shaped like tree branches and deer antlers, the crown features tiny, heart-shaped perforations filled with jewel beetle wings. An illustration shows how the crown would have been worn in the 6th century

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The Treasury seen from the Siq, Petra, 1st Century AD. One of the most elaborate rock-cut tombs in the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, as most of the surviving buildings and tombs in the city, the facade was carved out of the cliff. This was the first glimpse of Petra on arrival...

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The Treasury seen from the Siq, Petra, 1st Century AD. One of the most elaborate rock-cut tombs in the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, as most of the surviving buildings and tombs in the city, the facade was carved out of the cliff. This was the first glimpse of Petra on arrival...

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The only one of its kind globally, this Greenlandic whaling suit, made before 1834, is a unique artifact. Hunters used it for waterproofing by crawling through the central opening and sealing it with sealskin. It's now at Denmark's National Museum

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The only one of its kind globally, this Greenlandic whaling suit, made before 1834, is a unique artifact. Hunters used it for waterproofing by crawling through the central opening and sealing it with sealskin. It's now at Denmark's National Museum

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The Nag Hammadi library are 12 leather-bound papyrus codices, dated to the 4th century CE, that were found buried in a sealed jar in Egypt. They contain 52 Gnostic treatises, 3 works belonging to the Corpus Hermeticum, and a partial translation/alteration of Plato's Republic

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The Nag Hammadi library are 12 leather-bound papyrus codices, dated to the 4th century CE, that were found buried in a sealed jar in Egypt. They contain 52 Gnostic treatises, 3 works belonging to the Corpus Hermeticum, and a partial translation/alteration of Plato's Republic

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A 5,200-year-old pottery bowl from Shahr-e Sukhteh bearing what is considered the world's oldest example of animation. It shows five sequential images of a wild goat leaping to reach a tree, and when placed in sequence, they create a brief animated scene. National Museum of Iran.

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A 5,200-year-old pottery bowl from Shahr-e Sukhteh bearing what is considered the world's oldest example of animation. It shows five sequential images of a wild goat leaping to reach a tree, and when placed in sequence, they create a brief animated scene. National Museum of Iran.

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In the late 6th century CE, Greece was frequently attacked by Slavs and Avars. So a group of people and children took refuge in the Andritsa cave, taking with them lamps, vases, coins and a bronze cross, but for reasons unknown they were trapped inside and their refuge became their grave

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In the late 6th century CE, Greece was frequently attacked by Slavs and Avars. So a group of people and children took refuge in the Andritsa cave, taking with them lamps, vases, coins and a bronze cross, but for reasons unknown they were trapped inside and their refuge became their grave

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A 260mm 10" pewter syringe with a 150mm plunger from Henry VIII's sailing warship Mary Rose that sunk in the Solent in 1545. It would've been used for treating syphilis with caustic fluids like Hg but no cases of the disease were found amongst the human remains recovered from the wreck.

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A 260mm 10" pewter syringe with a 150mm plunger from Henry VIII's sailing warship Mary Rose that sunk in the Solent in 1545. It would've been used for treating syphilis with caustic fluids like Hg but no cases of the disease were found amongst the human remains recovered from the wreck.

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16th-century English vizard, or mask, would have been worn to hide or protect a gentlewoman's face while traveling. Silk inside, Black velvet outside.

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16th-century English vizard, or mask, would have been worn to hide or protect a gentlewoman's face while traveling. Silk inside, Black velvet outside.

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The coronation crown of King George IV. Made 1821. George could not afford to keep the crown, but no one would buy, so he was forced to dismantle it and sell all the jewels. This frame is all that remains.

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The coronation crown of King George IV. Made 1821. George could not afford to keep the crown, but no one would buy, so he was forced to dismantle it and sell all the jewels. This frame is all that remains.

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Pocket sundial from 2nd century AD Rome. Inside, on an axis, was a pointer and 4 discs, each with 2 diagrams on the front and back, showing different polar altitudes. It had to be held so that the sunbeam shone through the slit in the side, and the time could then be read on a scale

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Pocket sundial from 2nd century AD Rome. Inside, on an axis, was a pointer and 4 discs, each with 2 diagrams on the front and back, showing different polar altitudes. It had to be held so that the sunbeam shone through the slit in the side, and the time could then be read on a scale

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Bronze Rhinoceros Zun with Gold and Silver Inlays. This exquisite artifact immortalizes the Sumatran rhinos that once roamed ancient China before being wiped out by the demand for rhino-hide armor. Western Han Dynasty, 202 BCE~8 CE

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Bronze Rhinoceros Zun with Gold and Silver Inlays. This exquisite artifact immortalizes the Sumatran rhinos that once roamed ancient China before being wiped out by the demand for rhino-hide armor. Western Han Dynasty, 202 BCE~8 CE

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The pendant shows a man and woman kissing on the front and the reverse depicts clasped hands. The pendant dates to the late 3rd century AD and would have been given as a marriage gift. You can see this Vindolanda artefact on display at Roman Army Museum

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The pendant shows a man and woman kissing on the front and the reverse depicts clasped hands. The pendant dates to the late 3rd century AD and would have been given as a marriage gift. You can see this Vindolanda artefact on display at Roman Army Museum

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Beethoven kept his hearing loss a secret. He once wrote this letter to his brothers confessing it and explained that people mistakenly thought he was antisocial: he longed for human contact but became a recluse out of shame for his condition and all this made him contemplate suicide

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Beethoven kept his hearing loss a secret. He once wrote this letter to his brothers confessing it and explained that people mistakenly thought he was antisocial: he longed for human contact but became a recluse out of shame for his condition and all this made him contemplate suicide

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Dea Dardanica is a marble sculpture, found in Kosovo and made in the 2nd-3rd century CE, that represents an ancient goddess. While the exact nature of her worship and beliefs surrounding her vary, she is generally understood to have been revered by the indigenous Dardanian people

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Dea Dardanica is a marble sculpture, found in Kosovo and made in the 2nd-3rd century CE, that represents an ancient goddess. While the exact nature of her worship and beliefs surrounding her vary, she is generally understood to have been revered by the indigenous Dardanian people

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A bronze lamp from the city of Benin Benin was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting. bigger versions of these were hung 20ft high and placed around the city, fueled with palm oil the industrial era equivalent of crude oil. 15th century

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A bronze lamp from the city of Benin Benin was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting. bigger versions of these were hung 20ft high and placed around the city, fueled with palm oil the industrial era equivalent of crude oil. 15th century

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