The Ancient World

Discover how art shaped ancient civilizations across the world through c. 500 CE

rhino bronze china
feathered serpent facade Teotihuacan
Statue of a bearded man riding a horse indoors
Ancient Egyptian canopic jars with animal head lids, used for storing organs during mummification, displayed in a museum.
moche head
clay haniwa warrior figure
terracotta army
death of the buddha shown with figure reclining on a bed and people wailing around him

Discover Important Individuals

  • Ancient Chinese textile with traditional symbols and patterns, possibly from a funeral banner, featuring intricate designs of dragons, animals, and celestial motifs.

    Lady Dai

    A Marchioness of a small territory in China during the Han dynasty

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  • image of horse against a pole

    Marcus Aurelius

    Roman Emperor

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  • An army of warriors made in terracotta stand in a pit

    Qin Shi Huangdi

    The first Emperor of China

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  • A flat carved bone showing pictographic symbols on it

    King Wu Ding

    A Shang dynasty ruler

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  • Emperor Ashoka

    Emperor of the Mauryan Empire in South Asia and Patron of Buddhism

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  • Siddartha Gautama

    Founder of Buddhism

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  • Fu Hao

    Shang dynasty military general and queen

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Related Resources

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Explore Continents

Egyptian canopic jars with animal heads
White water bottle with stickers of a toy horse, green-faced mask, and artifact. Green “ARTSQ” text beside on dark green background.

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