Collections

In this gallery, we present 20 of the most striking frescoes found in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy. These frescoes were once buried under a thick carpet of volcanic ash from the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE. Year after year, archaeologists...

This gallery showcases 20 photos of Petra (Jordan), the former capital of the Nabataean kingdom, which thrived as a trading centre from the 4th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Petra is an ancient city carved into a canyon by the...

The kingdoms and periods of ancient Egypt are modern-day designations for the history of the civilization. The people themselves did not refer to these eras by their modern terms but, instead, dated their history by the reign of a king or...

Aztec religion and culture flourished between c. 1345 and 1521 and, at its height, influenced the majority of the people of northern Mesoamerica. Great monarchs such as Montezuma imposed Aztec ideals across the area of modern-day Mexico...

The Greek philosopher Plato (l. 424/423 to 348/347 BCE) is recognized as the founder of Western philosophy, following his mentor, Socrates. He founded the Academy in Athens, traditionally considered the first university in the Western world...

The Maya Civilization flourished between 250-950 although it drew upon earlier civilizations such as that of the Olmecs (1500 - 200 BCE) and Zapotec (600 BCE - 800 CE) and lasted through the Post-Classic Period of 950-1524. The great cities...

Maya religion and culture is among the most advanced and sophisticated of the Pre-Colombian Americas as evidenced by the ruins of their great cities and what remains of their writings after most were burned by the Spanish in 1562. The Maya...

The poets of ancient Greece are among the most famous in the world and established many of the forms still used by artists today. From the epic poetry of Homer to the more intimate works of Sappho of Lesbos, ancient Greek poetry has inspired...

Poetry is the first form of literary expression in the world as evidenced by The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest piece of world literature. For over 4,000 years, people have been writing poetry to express personal, communal, or global experiences...

Ancient Chinese literature developed following the evolution of script which evolved from divination practices of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). The pictographs made on oracle bones by diviners became the script known as Jiaguwen (c...