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Relief on a Roman tombstone showing a scene from the work of the deceased, who was a butcher. The man is at work, pieces of meat are hanging in front of him, and the wife is writing something on a wax tablet. The woman has a hairstyle typical of the reign of Emperor Hadrian .

ARTIFACT

Relief on a Roman tombstone showing a scene from the work of the deceased, who was a butcher. The man is at work, pieces of meat are hanging in front of him, and the wife is writing something on a wax tablet. The woman has a hairstyle typical of the reign of Emperor Hadrian .

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Bust showing a Roman, probably from the beginning of the 2nd century CE - the reign of Emperor Caracalla. This is indicated by the hairstyle and beard. The artifact is in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles .

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Bust showing a Roman, probably from the beginning of the 2nd century CE - the reign of Emperor Caracalla. This is indicated by the hairstyle and beard. The artifact is in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles .

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Roman fresco from Herculaneum showing two young women, where one of them holds a wax tablet and a stylus for writing. Object dated to the 1st century CE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

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Roman fresco from Herculaneum showing two young women, where one of them holds a wax tablet and a stylus for writing. Object dated to the 1st century CE. The artifact is in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.

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Assyrian relief depicting Esarhaddon with his mother Naqi'a. She is one of the few women depicted in Assyrian art, and the only Assyrian figure other than a king to write a treaty.

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Assyrian relief depicting Esarhaddon with his mother Naqi'a. She is one of the few women depicted in Assyrian art, and the only Assyrian figure other than a king to write a treaty.

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2nd century CE Roman pipe burial from Wales. Within the tomb was a lead canister containing cremated bones and a piece of linen bearing traces of frankincense. Pipe burials are thought to have allowed relatives to pour blood or wine into the container to nourish the soul of the deceased

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2nd century CE Roman pipe burial from Wales. Within the tomb was a lead canister containing cremated bones and a piece of linen bearing traces of frankincense. Pipe burials are thought to have allowed relatives to pour blood or wine into the container to nourish the soul of the deceased

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Roman sculpture depicting Homer. The object is a Roman copy, from the reign of Emperor Hadrian , of a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

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Roman sculpture depicting Homer. The object is a Roman copy, from the reign of Emperor Hadrian , of a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.

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"La Concubine" by Jean Denis Attiret. Believed to depict Step Empress Nara , who was almost entirely erased from history by the Qianlong Emperor after cutting her hair. Oil on paper. China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Reign, 1750. Now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Dole, France

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"La Concubine" by Jean Denis Attiret. Believed to depict Step Empress Nara , who was almost entirely erased from history by the Qianlong Emperor after cutting her hair. Oil on paper. China, Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Reign, 1750. Now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Dole, France

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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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A well-preserved Sassanid relief at Taq-e Bostan of Iran , showing Ardashir II receiving the diadem from Shapur II during his coronation, with Mithra standing to the left and the Roman emperor Julian under their feet.

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A well-preserved Sassanid relief at Taq-e Bostan of Iran , showing Ardashir II receiving the diadem from Shapur II during his coronation, with Mithra standing to the left and the Roman emperor Julian under their feet.

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A jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members of China's Han dynasty were buried. The top one for example belongs to the king Liu Wu , and was made from more than 4,000 pieces of jade linked together with gold wire

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A jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members of China's Han dynasty were buried. The top one for example belongs to the king Liu Wu , and was made from more than 4,000 pieces of jade linked together with gold wire

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The stationery box of the emperor Qianlong , now housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China. The piece of furniture can be a table when opened and a box when folded

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The stationery box of the emperor Qianlong , now housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing, China. The piece of furniture can be a table when opened and a box when folded

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Mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale depicting one of the central examples of Byzantine art and architecture, completed in 547 A.D. It is the only major church from the period of Roman Emperor Justinians reign that survives intact.

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Mosaic in the Basilica of San Vitale depicting one of the central examples of Byzantine art and architecture, completed in 547 A.D. It is the only major church from the period of Roman Emperor Justinians reign that survives intact.

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Reliefs from the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Vizier Ramose, in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, depicting him and his wife. Ramose was Vizier under both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten

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Reliefs from the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Vizier Ramose, in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, depicting him and his wife. Ramose was Vizier under both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten

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A gilt copper round box with openwork decoration of leaf scrolls and dragon. From the reign of the Emperor Qianlong , now housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing China

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A gilt copper round box with openwork decoration of leaf scrolls and dragon. From the reign of the Emperor Qianlong , now housed at the Palace Museum in Beijing China

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Marble funerary altar of a child named Anthus- The altar was set up by his father, Lucius Iulius Gamus. The deceased is referred to as, “his sweetest son" and a personal touch is given to the relief by showing Anthus with his pet dog.

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Marble funerary altar of a child named Anthus- The altar was set up by his father, Lucius Iulius Gamus. The deceased is referred to as, “his sweetest son" and a personal touch is given to the relief by showing Anthus with his pet dog.

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Bas-relief from the Maya Temple of the Cross in Palenque, Mexico, showing a ritual performed by K’inich Kan B’ahlam on his enthronement day , honoring the god GI, with his deceased father K’inich Pakal I; between them stands the World Tree, most likely a Ceiba

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Bas-relief from the Maya Temple of the Cross in Palenque, Mexico, showing a ritual performed by K’inich Kan B’ahlam on his enthronement day , honoring the god GI, with his deceased father K’inich Pakal I; between them stands the World Tree, most likely a Ceiba

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Reliquary containing a thorn from the crown allegedly worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. This was part of the Holy Roman Emperor's Imperial Treasury by 1544. Now in the British Museum.

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Reliquary containing a thorn from the crown allegedly worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. This was part of the Holy Roman Emperor's Imperial Treasury by 1544. Now in the British Museum.

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Restored bust of Antinous, the lover of Roman Emperor Hadrian who died young from drowning in the Nile, deified as Osiris. From Hadrian's Villa, near Tivoli, Italy.

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Restored bust of Antinous, the lover of Roman Emperor Hadrian who died young from drowning in the Nile, deified as Osiris. From Hadrian's Villa, near Tivoli, Italy.

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Samples of some of the marbles used in the Roman Empire. For centuries, all sorts of different marbles were methodically sought and brought from all the reaches of the empire. Myriad marbles covered the walls and floors of the Imperial buildings. Rome was a richly colorful place...

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Samples of some of the marbles used in the Roman Empire. For centuries, all sorts of different marbles were methodically sought and brought from all the reaches of the empire. Myriad marbles covered the walls and floors of the Imperial buildings. Rome was a richly colorful place...

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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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