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A large Neo-Assyrian lapis lazuli cylinder seal from Babylon in Iraq, and dated to the reign of the king Esarhaddon , depicting the storm god Adad, standing on a stylized pedestal, with bolts of lightning in his hands, and a lion-dragon on a leash lying at his feet

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A large Neo-Assyrian lapis lazuli cylinder seal from Babylon in Iraq, and dated to the reign of the king Esarhaddon , depicting the storm god Adad, standing on a stylized pedestal, with bolts of lightning in his hands, and a lion-dragon on a leash lying at his feet

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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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A lapis lazuli cylinder seal decorated with geometric pattern. Piedmont style, Jemdet Nasr period , from Iraq, now part of Yale Babylonian Collection

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A lapis lazuli cylinder seal decorated with geometric pattern. Piedmont style, Jemdet Nasr period , from Iraq, now part of Yale Babylonian Collection

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This gold bracelet of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Shoshenq IIa is crafted in two hinged sections, and set at its center with a lapis lazuli Mesopotamian cylinder seal dating to the Akkadian Empire . Now housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

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This gold bracelet of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Shoshenq IIa is crafted in two hinged sections, and set at its center with a lapis lazuli Mesopotamian cylinder seal dating to the Akkadian Empire . Now housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

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Royal staff handle from the Achaemenid Empire . It features a cylindrical gold socket, ending in two lapis lazuli lion heads. The socket is decorated with repoussé work, and traces of ivory or bone remain inside. On display at the Iranian Gallery, British Museum.

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Royal staff handle from the Achaemenid Empire . It features a cylindrical gold socket, ending in two lapis lazuli lion heads. The socket is decorated with repoussé work, and traces of ivory or bone remain inside. On display at the Iranian Gallery, British Museum.

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The Net Cylinder of the king Entemena which describes the beginning of a war between the city-states of Lagaš and Umma during the Early Dynastic III period, one of the earliest border conflicts recorded. 2400 BCE, from Iraq, now at the Yale Babylonian Collection

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The Net Cylinder of the king Entemena which describes the beginning of a war between the city-states of Lagaš and Umma during the Early Dynastic III period, one of the earliest border conflicts recorded. 2400 BCE, from Iraq, now at the Yale Babylonian Collection

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A silver coin from the ancient city of Elis in Greece, depicting on the obverse an eagle's head facing left, below it a poplar leaf, and on the reverse an upright stylized winged lightning bolt in an olive wreath. Ca. 421-365 BCE, now housed at the Münzkabinett in Berlin

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A silver coin from the ancient city of Elis in Greece, depicting on the obverse an eagle's head facing left, below it a poplar leaf, and on the reverse an upright stylized winged lightning bolt in an olive wreath. Ca. 421-365 BCE, now housed at the Münzkabinett in Berlin

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Head from a statue of the goddess Hathor in the form of a cow. Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th dynasty, ca 1450 BC. Calcite with lapis lazuli and rock crystal. Loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the British Museum

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Head from a statue of the goddess Hathor in the form of a cow. Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th dynasty, ca 1450 BC. Calcite with lapis lazuli and rock crystal. Loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the British Museum

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Letter from the exorcist Adad-šumu-uṣur to the Assyrian king Esarhaddon about one of the king’s bouts of depression, ca. 670 BCE

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Letter from the exorcist Adad-šumu-uṣur to the Assyrian king Esarhaddon about one of the king’s bouts of depression, ca. 670 BCE

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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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Sphinx, Petra, Nabatean Kingdom, c. 30 AD. Carved from a limestone block, it depicts a Greek sphinx with the head of a woman, body of a lioness, and wings of an eagle. This combination of the strongest females of land and sky might symbolize the city, or the warrior goddess al-Lat.

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Sphinx, Petra, Nabatean Kingdom, c. 30 AD. Carved from a limestone block, it depicts a Greek sphinx with the head of a woman, body of a lioness, and wings of an eagle. This combination of the strongest females of land and sky might symbolize the city, or the warrior goddess al-Lat.

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A Neo-Babylonian chalcedony seal depicting a mixed creature with human torso, pegasus body and scorpion tail pointing his bow and arrow at a creature with lion head and pegasus body. 626-539 BCE, now housed at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

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A Neo-Babylonian chalcedony seal depicting a mixed creature with human torso, pegasus body and scorpion tail pointing his bow and arrow at a creature with lion head and pegasus body. 626-539 BCE, now housed at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

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Folding fan depicting scenes from the history of ballooning, made from molded horn sticks and skin leaf painted with gouache, c. 1785. MFA Boston

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Folding fan depicting scenes from the history of ballooning, made from molded horn sticks and skin leaf painted with gouache, c. 1785. MFA Boston

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Garshāsp is a 13-meter statue in Tehran depicting the mythological Persian king from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh , thrusting his spear into the dragon's mouth. After the fall of the Qajar Empire, it replaced the statue of Nasser al-Din Shah , and it still stands today.

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Garshāsp is a 13-meter statue in Tehran depicting the mythological Persian king from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh , thrusting his spear into the dragon's mouth. After the fall of the Qajar Empire, it replaced the statue of Nasser al-Din Shah , and it still stands today.

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Neo-Assyrian bas-relief depicting ships carrying and dragging cedar logs from Lebanon, guided by protective deities. Court in Dur-Sharrukin, present day Khorsabad, the unfinished capital city of Sargon II, c. 700 BCE. Mesopotamian lands were poor in stone and forest, so...

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Neo-Assyrian bas-relief depicting ships carrying and dragging cedar logs from Lebanon, guided by protective deities. Court in Dur-Sharrukin, present day Khorsabad, the unfinished capital city of Sargon II, c. 700 BCE. Mesopotamian lands were poor in stone and forest, so...

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A relief fragment depicting an Assyrian soldier conducting captives across the water. In the lower part of the panel, the pole used to propel the boat appears to hit a dead body in the water. Neo-Assyrian period, ca. 668–627 BCE, from Iraq, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum

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A relief fragment depicting an Assyrian soldier conducting captives across the water. In the lower part of the panel, the pole used to propel the boat appears to hit a dead body in the water. Neo-Assyrian period, ca. 668–627 BCE, from Iraq, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum

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Roman mosaic depicts a man lying in bed and his partner standing. The object is dated to 1st BCE - 1st century CE.

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Roman mosaic depicts a man lying in bed and his partner standing. The object is dated to 1st BCE - 1st century CE.

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A restored mural depicting seven female figures with raised hands and exposed breasts, reassembled from numerous fragments. The mural, which had sunk in Lake Constance in Germany almost 6,000 years ago, is the oldest figurative wall painting north of the Alps

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A restored mural depicting seven female figures with raised hands and exposed breasts, reassembled from numerous fragments. The mural, which had sunk in Lake Constance in Germany almost 6,000 years ago, is the oldest figurative wall painting north of the Alps

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A bronze plaque from Perm, in Russia, depicting seven elk men, with two-fingered hands and small hooves for feet,walking in procession along the back of a long-horned, scaly anteater. 6th-8th century CE

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A bronze plaque from Perm, in Russia, depicting seven elk men, with two-fingered hands and small hooves for feet,walking in procession along the back of a long-horned, scaly anteater. 6th-8th century CE

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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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