ArtAncient

This mesmerising, iridescent ammonite fossil is a dazzling natural masterpiece dating to the Late Cretaceous, around 75 million years ago. This specimen was discovered in the renowne...

A strikingly well-preserved fossilised fish from the famed Green River Formation. Preserved in exquisite detail, almost as an anatomical study, this specimen has been identified as C...

A beautifully formed hand axe crafted in the Middle Palaeolithic by our early ancestors from a nodule of multicoloured jasper, and a particularly aesthetic example of the stone tools...

A dramatically sculptural example of the earliest human technology, the Acheulan hand axe, discovered in Walcott, a mile from the famed Palaeolithic site of Happisburgh. During this ...

An exquisite ancient Egyptian hardstone bust of a female deity, with tripartite wig and Usekh collar, displaying all the hallmarks of early Nineteenth Dynasty art. Described by the d...

An exceptionally rare, deep purple fluorite specimen from the recently discovered Dongqiyishan Fluorite Mine in Inner Mongolia. With its rich colouration and unusual form, this speci...

A beautifully preserved and notably large neanderthal stone tool, crafted by our early ancestors from a flint nodule. Almost ionic of the Neanderthals of the Middle Palaeolithic, thi...

A particularly elegant and exceptionally well-preserved example of a famed pottery type from the Predynastic Period of ancient Egypt, known as black-topped ware. This example is part...

This striking fossilised branch comes from the warm, subtropical environment of the early Eocene, approximately 50 million years ago. The branch is preserved in remarkable detail - s...

An elegantly carved stone vessel, once part of the founding collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Alabastra - small, ovoid vessels used to hold precious oils, per...

A medallic and beautifully preserved ancient silver tetradrachm, bearing a particularly fine portrait of one of the greatest heroes from antiquity - Heracles. On the obverse, the hea...

A striking, translucent piece of Libyan Desert Glass, a type of impact glass formed when a meteorite impacted in the eastern Sahara around 29 million years ago. This catastrophic imp...

An elegant Bronze incense burner, dating to the late 5th century BC and the height of Etruscan bronze production. The central stem, cast in the form of a plant with two emerging buds...

An impressively large and beautifully preserved serrated tooth, once belonging to the infamous prehistoric shark, Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon). This example, with the root stil...

Named the ‘Bowl of the Traitor’ by German Egyptologist Hermann Schlögl, this finely inscribed fragment from a ritual vessel is believed to have belonged to Udjahorresnet, one of the ...

One of the largest hand axes ever found in the UK, a notable example of the first human technology, in superb condition. Classified on account of its size as a ‘giant’, this Acheulea...

A beautifully preserved stone axe, crafted by our early ancestors from a flint nodule. Almost ionic of the Neanderthals of the Middle Palaeolithic, this technology - known as Levallo...

This magnificent fossilised cross-section of a conifer tree trunk is a beautiful and vibrant piece of natural history. Originating from Northern Arizona, this prehistoric tree transf...

An exquisitely carved Roman table support, known as a trapezophorus, depicting a gnarling panther, rendered in banded alabaster, emerging from acanthus leaves. Finely carved, the pan...

A spectacular meteorite cross-section from the renowned pallasite meteorite, Seymchan, formed over 4.5 billion years ago at the beginning of our Solar System. Comprising only 0.2% of...

A magnificent meteorite sphere, carved and polished from the famed pallasite meteorite, Seymchan, which was formed over 4.5 billion years ago at the beginning of our Solar System. Co...

A finely modelled terracotta head of a woman from the 4th century BC. She holds her head upright with a calm, dignified expression. A headdress frames her features and a veil drapes ...

A charming fragment from a Greek vase attributed to a follower of one of the most prolific pottery painters of the 5th century BC, the Douris painter. It depicts a man, in profile, w...

A spectacular and large tooth with lustrous grey surface contrasting with the bright-white coral encrustations. Once belonging to the most terrifying marine predator of the prehistor...

A well-preserved and published axe head, with cream-grey patina, and a particularly fine reminder of the technological advancements achieved by our ancestors during the Neolithic per...

An exceptional and highly sculptural specimen from the famed 'Dragon Scale Pocket', unearthed during a single, now legendary find in 2019 at the Sweetwater Mine. This dramatic cluste...

A charming amulet of Pataikos, dating to the Late period and the height of faience production in Egypt. The dwarf-like figure, depicted naked and squatting, with rounded belly and ar...

This dazzling gold brooch, inlaid with red garnet, and blue and green glass, is a fine example of one of the most striking emblems of the early medieval elite. Its rich colours, expe...

This Cypriot pottery vessel, handmade some 4,000 years ago, is characteristic of Middle Bronze Age production on the island. Painted in white slip with umber detailing, it has the di...

A finely cast ancient Egyptian bronze cat head crowned with a scarab. The triangular face, elegantly modelled with tapering muzzle, incised whisker...

This poetic fragment depicting a dancing maenad dates to the Roman Imperial Period, and likely once formed part of a large vessel or cinerary urn. Gracefully carved, the female figur...

A spectacular iridescent ammonite from the Late Cretaceous period, circa 75 million years ago. From the Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada, renowned for the exceptional preservat...

This spectacular polished slice of Gadamis 004 reveals the lunar meteorite’s mosaic-like interior, with its matrix of white, grey, and charcoal angular clasts, evoking the surface of...

This large and beautifully preserved serrated tooth once lined the mouth of the infamous prehistoric shark, the Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon). This example, complete with the ro...

A finely carved Cypriot votive head of the 6th century BC, preserved with its original base from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, one of the world's most renowned museum col...

This beautiful New Kingdom limestone fragment, preserving three columns of deeply carved hieroglyphs, would have once accompanied elaborate pictorial depictions on the walls of a tem...

This precious and sculptural fragment originates from the famed Sikhote-Alin meteorite, which fell to Earth on 12 February 1947, in the largest recorded meteorite fall in history. En...

This delicate blade was crafted by our early ancestors from a nodule of multicoloured jasper, almost iconic of the stone tools created in the area around Fontmaure, in France. With s...

This small, monolithic meteorite cross-section originates from the famed pallasite meteorite, Seymchan. Formed over 4.5 billion years ago at the creation of our Solar System, it was ...

A spectacular, extremely large tooth with beautiful yellow-orange enamel colour contrasting with the bright white barnacle encrustations. This tooth once belonged to the most terrify...

This striking natural sculpture is in fact a meteorite, formed at the creation of our Solar System around 4.5 billion years ago. Journeying across hundreds of millions of miles from ...

This striking sculpture is in fact an exceptionally well-preserved, large and beautiful example of the earliest human technology. The iconic leaf-shape or tear-drop form is associate...

This charming figure is iconic of the early, multicultural art of Cypro-Archaic Cyprus (c.750-480 BC). Crafted and placed in a sanctuary in lieu of the worshipper, it was a particula...

This intriguing artefact is in fact an entirely natural glass formation created by a powerful, historic meteorite impact that struck Indochina around 700,000 years ago. Known as a bi...

This carefully-crafted stone tool is an aesthetic example of the earliest human technology. The leaf-shape or tear-drop form is an almost iconic representation of our early ancestors...

This large and aesthetic fossil dates to around 50 million years ago. Minimalist in style, the branch, framed by the matrix, bears a solitary leaf, while three more rest beside it. F...

Formed during the earliest moments of our Solar System, around 4.5 billion years ago, this meteorite originates from a small rocky parent body that later became part of the asteroid ...

This large serrated tooth once lined the mouth of the infamous prehistoric shark, the Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon). This example, complete with the root, was discovered in the ...

This exquisite Roman marble statuette depicts Jupiter, king of the gods, flanked by an eagle with outstretched wings, the symbol of his divine power. While only the feet and left leg...

This acheulean hand axe is an exceptionally well-preserved example of the first human technology. Conceived as a multipurpose tool, it represents the technological advances achieved ...

This magnificent, widely published, female figure, skilfully carved from translucent alabaster, is a refined example of the subtlety and elegance of South Arabian...

This remarkable piece of natural history, with a mesmerising honeycomb structure of shimmering peridot crystals suspended in an iron-nickel matrix, is a section of the famed pallasit...

This evocative Roman marble foot is a timeless remnant of the sculpture it was once part of. Sensitively carved and polished, it reveals the hand of a master sculptor, and hints at t...

This large and beautifully preserved serrated tooth would have once lined the mouth of the infamous prehistoric shark, Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon). Hailing from the famed Lee ...

This striking stone meteorite is a rare type of natural sculpture from outer space. Its form and radiating thumb-shaped impressions - known as regmaglypts - are the result of its fie...

This dazzling, iridescent ammonite fossil is a spectacular natural masterpiece dating to the Late Cretaceous, around 75 million years ago. This specimen was discovered in the renowne...

This aesthetic fossil, composed almost like an aquatic still life, dates to the Eocene, around 50 million years ago. Remarkably well-preserved, it provides an incredible snapshot of ...

This seemingly striking sculpture, composed of thick swirls and folds, is in fact an entirely natural formation. It is a beautifully aesthetic example of a sandstone concretion collo...

This finely preserved thin-butted axe, knapped and polished from a block of mottled brown-grey coloured flint, is a powerful and aesthetic reminder of the technological advancements ...

This charming pottery vase, decorated with black and red paint, dates to around 1500 years BC, during the height of ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom, and the celebrated Amarna period. Ele...