r/Archaology

Dating to the early 5th century BC, the “Tomb of the Diver” is one of the most remarkable surviving examples of ancient Greek painting.

A striking elephant depicted in a 6th-century mosaic floor from the Great Palace of Constantinople, today’s Istanbul. The Palatium Magnum mosaics preserve vivid scenes of animals, hunting and everyday life from the Byzantine imperial world.

Around 490 BC. One of the most powerful scenes from Homer’s Iliad, painted on an Attic red-figure skyphos: King Priam of Troy begs Achilles to return the body of his son Hector. Hector’s lifeless body is shown beneath the couch on which Achilles reclines.

A striking 2,300-year-old gold bracelet set with garnets and decorated with a ritual scene has been discovered near Topolovgrad, Bulgaria. The late 4th–early 3rd century BC find was uncovered by the team of archaeologists Daniela Agre and Deyan Dichev.

A masterpiece of 1st-century Sarmatian goldwork. Discovered in the Khokhlach burial mound, this diadem blends Scythian traditions with Hellenic influence—gold, precious stones, sacred animals, a tree of life, and a central amethyst bust. Now in the Hermitage Museum.

The Egyptian god Shu kneels with both arms raised, holding the sky above the earth. Ptolemaic Period, 332–30 BC. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

A Scythian gold-plated bowl from the royal kurgan of Solokha, dating to the 4th century BC. Discovered in one of the most famous Scythian elite burials, it reflects the extraordinary craftsmanship and wealth of the Scythian aristocracy.

Three knights. A murdered archbishop. And the hand of God descending from heaven.

An elegant piece of Hellenistic jewelry: a necklace with a gold pendant, dating to around the late 4th–3rd century BC.

Tutankhamun’s gold buckle, discovered in his tomb in 1922, once decorated a royal chariot harness. It shows the young pharaoh as a divine warrior defeating Egypt’s enemies. New Kingdom, c. 1332–1323 BCE. Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza.