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Consists of 3 eras: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.
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Also called the Old Stone Age, the Paleolithic period was a period in prehistory that showed the first stages of humans developing technology like stone tools.
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Found in 1908 at Willendorf, Austria. The female figure is suspected to be made for religious reasons. -
Found in southeastern France in 1994, this cave contains some of the best-preserved cave paintings in the world. -
This cave in southwestern France has over 600 paintings that covered the walls and ceilings. The paintings were mostly animals and plants. -
Found in the north-west Kimberley region of Western Australia. These paintings were considered to be made by indigenous Australians. -
The Mesolithic Period showed the start of fishing, food gathering, and animal domestication.The start and end dates of the period varied by region.
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The Neolithic period showed the start of farming and permanent homes. This period is known for its megalithic structures.
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A dance scene found in Roca dels Moros in Spain. Nine women, painted in black and red, appear to be dancing. Animals were also painted alongside them. -
This sculpture was found in the Ain Sakhri caves near Bethlehem. It is considered to be one of the first sculptures to show intimate actions. -
This moose head sculpture made out of soapstone was found in 1903 at Satakunta, Finland. -
This terracotta sculpture was unearthed in 1956. Similar sculptures were found near Cernavoda in Romania. -
Consists of the Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Neo Babylonians.
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Sumer was the earliest civilization in Mesopotamia. Urban settlements due to farming were formed and the beginnings of writing were established.
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Gebel el-Arak Knife is a knife made out of ivory and flint. The handle has carved low reliefs showing a battle. -
Also known as Naqada III, this period had the formation of states and powerful kings.
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Located on Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire in south central England, it is uncertain whether this megalithic structure served funerary purposes, ritual purposes, or both. -
This palette contains some of the first hieroglyphics ever recorded. Palettes were usually given as temple offerings. -
The Old Kingdom showed the development of many different concepts and practices. Much of what we know of the Old Kingdom is based on their burials.
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The Stele of the Vultures is a monument made to celebrate a victory of Lagash over its neighbour. It shows many battle scenes and is named after the vulture in those scenes. -
Considered to be one of the oldest stringed instruments ever found, this lyre was found in the Royal Cemetery of Ur in the 1920s. -
This sculpture of a scribe sitting was found in a tomb at Saqqara. The sculpture was made to ensure that the scribe would be able to continue his work in the afterlife. -
This life-size statue of the pharaoh Menkaure and a queen was found in the Giza pyramids. The pharaoh and the queen are both taking a step forward, representing stepping to the afterlife. -
The Akkadian Empire is considered to be the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after Sumer. The Akkadian Empire had major military influence across Mesopotamia.
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This Akkadian stele shows Naram-Sin's defeat of the Lullubi. Naram-Sin was Sargon's grandson and was considered "Ruler of the World". -
This head is made of bronze, and was supposedly a sculpture of Sarnon II. One of the eyes is damaged, though the cause is unknown. -
This sculpture is of Gudea, who was a king of Lagash. His robes have writing that describes him as a divine king. -
The Middle Kingdom showed changes to principles from the Old Kingdom. Many monuments were constantly replaced and badly preserved, so not much of the Middle Kingdom is recorded.
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Assyria was one of the largest empires in ancient Mesopotamia.This was due to their warrior kings and the fact that the Assyrian army was the strongest military in the world.
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Located in southeastern Mesopotamia , Babylon became the center for trading commerce. Before it became Babylon, it was divided into two countries: Sumer and Akkad.
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These coffins were the most common type of coffin during the Middle Kingdom. Prayers to Anubis, Osiris, and many other gods were written in the side for items in the afterlife. -
This stele was a Babylonian legal text written by Hammurabi, who was the sixth king of Babylon. The top of the stele has a relief of Hammurabi with the god of justice. -
Also known as the “Queen of the Night” relief, this Babylonian relief is said to have been used as a shrine in a mansion or a tomb. -
The New Kingdom marked the peak of Egypt's power and is considered to be a "golden age".
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This belonged to a series of frescoes in the scribe Nebamun's tomb. This specific piece shows Nebamun hunting birds and fish with his family. -
This bust is of Nefertiti, the royal wife of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. It was found in Thutmose's workshop in Amarna, Egypt. It is considered one of the most copied works of Egypt. -
The tomb of Horemheb is located in Saqqara. It was made before Horemheb became pharaoh, so he never used this tomb. His two wives, however, are buried here. -
Lamassus were high-relief sculptures that appeared during Assyrian times. They were human hybrids, with a head of a human, the body of a bull, and wings of a bird. -
These Assyrian palace reliefs show King Ashurbanipal in an arena, where he slughterslions with various weapons. -
Also known as the Second Babylonian Empire, this was the last of the Mesopotamian empires.
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This gate was the eighth entryway located in the city of Babylon. The blue walls have reliefs of many animals and gods.