Fish: Did you mean...?

The Home of the Fish is a Sumerian poetic monologue, most likely from the Ur III Period (2047-1750 BCE), in which the speaker tries to coax various fish into a newly built home. The meaning of the poem depends on whether the speaker is sincere...

The production and trade of fish sauce in the ancient world was a significant and widespread industry, stretching from Britain to the Black Sea. Roman fish sauce, known as garum, was one of the most popular and commonly used ingredients in...

The Debate Between Bird and Fish (c. 2000 BCE) is a Sumerian poem dated to the Ur III Period (2047-1750 BCE) when the genre of the literary debate was especially popular. The poem is the earliest extant on the theme of difficult neighbors...

Fish-shaped brooches. Gold, silver, with almandine (a precious stone) and glass inlays. c. 500 CE. Bülach. Canton of Zurich. In early Christianity, the fish was used as a secret sign of identification amongst believers. The Greek word...

A Greek ceramic plate used for serving fish and seafood. A central depression collected any excess oil. The shape was popular in both Attica and Magna Graecia. Attic dishes almost always have the fish painted with their underside towards...

A Roman floor mosaic dating to between 350 and 375 CE and depicting fish. Food was a popular subject in mosiacs throughout the Roman period. Provenance: Toragnola, Rome. (Vatican Museums, Rome).

In order to protect the household, this protective figure (apkallu or sage) would be buried beneath the floor in groups of seven. This figurine represents a wise man dressed in a fish-cloak sent by the god Ea to impart knowledge to humans...

Fish-shaped amulet from the Warka, Iraq, Late Uruk Period, 3300-3000 BCE The British Museum, London.

A detail of a Roman mosaic showing fish. Tarraco, 3rd century CE. (Archaeological Museum, Tarragona, Spain)

Campanian in origin and dating to 330-300 BCE, the function of this plate is indicated by the painted fish motifs. It is believed that the central hole was intended to hold sauce. Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.