Wood: Did you mean...?

These fragments are from a set of six maple wood bottles or flasks, perhaps used for medium-strength alcoholic drinks, like mead or ale. Maple trees were uncommon in East Anglia, so their wood may have been highly prized. The gilded silver...

Detail of Gathering of Gypsies in the Wood, oil on panel painting by Flemish painter Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568-1625). Museo Del Prado, Madrid.

The Viking ship builders did not wait for the wood to dry, as other timber for other purposes was left. Rather, shipbuilders worked most pieces while still fresh and moist. This made the boards softer, easier to bend, and more adaptable to...

An engraving of the harpies in the Forest of Suicides by Gustave Doré illustrating Canto XIII of Divine Comedy, Inferno, by Dante Alighieri.

In Viking shipbuilding, instead of relying on a single ideal tree, a functional selection system was applied. Hardwoods such as oak were preferred for the keel, while lighter softwoods such as pine and spruce were chosen for masts and oars...

Raised in the Bay Area, Christopher received his B.A. in Classics from San Francisco State and his Masters in Anthropology from the University of California Santa Barbara. Over the years he has devoted his time to working as an archaeologist...

Hamaxia (now known as Sinek Kalesi or Sinekkalesi, near the modern Alanya) was a city in western Cilicia in southern Turkey known for its lush landscape, cedar forests, and thriving timber export business. It was located on a high hill near...

Alpine stilt houses are a unique and fascinating aspect of prehistoric architecture in the Alps, which provide valuable insights into the lives and culture of the ancient communities. The houses were built by prehistoric communities living...

In this gallery of 30 illustrations, we present the stages and techniques required to build the type of Viking ship Harald Hardrada, the future Norwegian king (reign 1046-1066), would likely have used to enter Constantinople in 1034. No physical...

The Report of Wenamun (also known as The Tale of Wenamun or The Report of Wenamon) is an Egyptian literary work dated to c. 1090-1075 BCE toward the end of the New Kingdom (c.1570 - c. 1069 BCE). The piece was originally interpreted as an...