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Gold Celtic Ring Detail, 390 BCE
Around 390 BCE. Erstfeld. Canton Uri. Protection for travellers: This treasure was deposited in a rock crevice in a valley leading to the Gotthard Pass, probably as a votive offering by a group of travellers. The rings bear human and animal...
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Protection for Travellers, Gold Ring, 390 BCE
Around 390 BC. Erstfeld. Canton Uri. Protection for travellers: This treasure was deposited in a rock crevice in a valley leading to the Gotthard Pass, probably as a votive offering by a group of travellers. The rings bear human and animal...
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Mold Cape
The golden Mold Cape was discovered in the town of Mold in Flintshire, Wales in 1833 CE. The cape dates from 1900-1600 BCE, and is the only Bronze Age gold cape known to exist. The meaning behind the intricate patterns and designs remains...
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Body Chain Detail, Hoxne Hoard
A detail of the central jewelled gold body chain of the Hoxne Hoard. The central stone is amethyst and surrounded by garnets. The empty settings once probably held pearls which have since decayed. Discovered in Suffolk, in the east of...
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Hoxne Hoard Pepper Pot
Items from the Hoxne Hoard including the 7.5 cm high silver pepper pot known as the 'Empress' pepper pot. Discovered in Suffolk, in the east of England in 1992 CE, the incredible collection contains 14,865 late-4th and early-5th century...
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Death Mask of Agamemnon
The so-called death mask of Agamemnon - the king of Mycenae in Homer's Iliad. Gold funeral mask from Grave Circle A, Mycenae (mid-16th century BCE). The mask in fact predates Agamemnon by 400 years but nevertheless remains solid evidence...
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Great House, Kilwa
The ruins of the Great House, Kilwa on the Swahili Coast (modern Tanzania). Likely constructed during the reign of al Hasan ibn Suleiman (r. 1320-1333 CE).
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Sir John Hawkins Portrait
A c. 1581 CE portrait by an unknown artist of the English mariner, privateer and slave trader Sir John Hawkins (1532-95 CE). (National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England)
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Trans-Saharan Trade Routes
A map indicating the major trans-Saharan trade routes across West Africa c. 1100-1500 CE. The darker yellow areas indicate gold fields.
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Death Mask of Tutankhamun
The death mask of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. The mask is made of gold, precious stones, and glass inlay, 14th century BCE. (Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo)
