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Ancient Mediterranean

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A beginner's guide
Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 5th–3rd millennia B.C.E.
Tiny timeline: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia in a global context, 2nd–1st millennia B.C.E.
Ancient Near East
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A beginner's guide
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Ancient Near East: Cradle of civilization
Cuneiform, an introduction
Writing Cuneiform
Cuneiform Tablets
Sumerian
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Sumer, an introduction
White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk
Archaeological reconstructions
Warka Vase
Standing Male Worshipper (Tell Asmar)
Relief of Ur-Nanshe
Cylinder seals
Standard of Ur and other objects from the Royal Graves
Akkadian
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Akkad, an introduction
Victory Stele of Naram-Sin
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Neo-Sumerian/Ur III
Seated Gudea holding temple plan
Ziggurat of Ur
Babylonian
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Babylonia, an introduction
Visiting Babylon
The Babylonian mind
Law Code Stele of King Hammurabi
The Ishtar Gate and Neo-Babylonian art
Towers of Babel
Kassite art: Unfinished Kudurru
Assyrian
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Assyria, an introduction
Assyrian Sculpture
Lamassu from the citadel of Sargon II
Ashurbanipal Hunting Lions
The palace decoration of Ashurbanipal
Assyria vs Elam: The battle of Til Tuba
Persian
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Ancient Persia, an introduction
The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia
Capital of a column from the audience hall of the palace of Darius I, Susa
Persepolis: The Audience Hall of Darius and Xerxes
Sasanian
Sasanian art, an introduction
Ancient Egypt
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A beginner's guide
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Ancient Egypt, an introduction
Ancient Egyptian art
Materials and techniques in ancient Egyptian art
The mummification process
Predynastic and Old Kingdom
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Palette of King Narmer
The Great Pyramids of Giza
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Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Sphinx
Pyramid of Menkaure
King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen
The Seated Scribe
Middle and New Kingdom
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Temple of Amun-Re and the Hypostyle Hall, Karnak
Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
Standing Hippopotamus
Mortuary Temple and Statue of Hatshepsut
The tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
Bottle and toy: objects from daily life
House Altar depicting Akhenaten, Nefertiti and Daughters
Portrait of Queen Tiye
Thutmose, Model Bust of Queen Nefertiti
Tutankhamun’s tomb (innermost coffin and death mask)
Head of Tutankhamun
Hunefer’s Judgement in the presence of Osiris
Barry X Ball on an Egyptian fragment of a queen’s face
Late Period
Meet an Ushabti, an Ancient Egyptian Statuette Made for the Afterlife
Ptolemaic
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Egyptian mummy portraits
Faiyum mummy portraits
Decoding the Rosetta Stone
Multilingualism along the Nile
The Rosetta Stone
Ancient Aegean
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An introduction to the ancient Aegean
Cycladic
Cycladic art, an introduction
Male Harp Player from Keros
Akrotiri, Thera
Minoan
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Minoan art, an introduction
Knossos
Restoration versus conservation: the Palace at Knossos
Kamares Ware Jug
Snake Goddess
Bull’s Head Rhyton
Harvester Vase
Octopus Vase
Palaikastro Kouros
Hagia Triada sarcophagus
Bull-leaping fresco
La Parisienne
Mycenaean
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Mycenaean art, an introduction
The “Palace” and Grave Circle A
Mask of Agamemnon
The Treasury of Atreus
Lion Gate
Ancient Greece
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A beginner's guide
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Ancient Greece, an introduction
Introduction to ancient Greek art
Contrapposto explained
Introduction to ancient Greek architecture
Greek architectural orders
Black Figures in Classical Greek Art
Greek sanctuaries as artistic hubs
Olympic games
Pottery
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Greek Vase-Painting, an introduction
Ancient Greek vase production and the black-figure technique
Making Greek vases
Dipylon Amphora
Terracotta Krater
Commemorating the Dead in Greek Geometric Art
Eleusis Amphora
Sophilos: a new direction in Greek pottery
François Vase
Exekias
Ajax and Achilles playing a game
Dionysos Kylix
Euphronios, Sarpedon Krater
Euthymides, Three Revelers
Niobid Krater
Daedalic and Archaic
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Lady of Auxerre
Marble statue of a kouros (New York Kouros)
Anavysos Kouros
The Kouroi of Kleobis and Biton
Peplos Kore
Ancient Greek Temples at Paestum
Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi
Siphnian Treasury, Delphi
Early Classical
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Pediments from the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina
Kritios Boy
Contrapposto explained
Charioteer of Delphi
Artemision Zeus or Poseidon
Riace Warriors
Classical
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Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear-Bearer)
Myron, Discobolus (Discus Thrower)
The Athenian Agora and the experiment in democracy
The Parthenon, Athens
Parthenon sculptures
The Many Lives of the Parthenon
Who owns the Parthenon sculptures?
Egyptian blue on the Parthenon sculptures
Plaque of the Ergastines
The Erechtheion
Caryatid and Ionic Column from the Erechtheion
Temple of Athena Nike on the Athenian Acropolis
Nike Adjusting Her Sandal, Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis, Athens
Grave stele of Hegeso
Late Classical
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The Antikythera Youth
Lysippos
How an ancient Greek bronze ended up in the Vatican
Apoxyomenos (Scraper)
Farnese Hercules
Capitoline Venus (copy of the Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles)
The Alexander Sarcophagus
Hellenistic
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Barberini Faun
Dying Gaul and Ludovisi Gaul
Bronze statue of Eros sleeping
Nike (Winged Victory) of Samothrace
The Pergamon Altar
Apollonius, Boxer at Rest (or The Seated Boxer)
Spinario (Boy with Thorn)
Alexander Mosaic from the House of the Faun, Pompeii
Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes, Laocoön and his Sons
Nabataean
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Petra: The rose red city of the Nabataeans
Petra: urban metropolis
Petra: rock-cut façades
Petra: UNESCO Siq Project
Etruscan
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The Etruscans, an introduction
Bucchero
Temple of Minerva and the sculpture of Apollo (Veii)
Apulu (Apollo of Veii)
Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Louvre)
Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Rome)
Tomb of the Triclinium
The François Tomb
Tomb of the Reliefs
Chimera of Arezzo
Mars of Todi
Aule Metele (Arringatore)
Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia
Ancient Rome
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A beginner's guide
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Introduction to ancient Rome
Introduction to ancient Roman art
City of Rome overview—origins to the archaic period
Ancient Rome (virtual reality tour)
Rome’s history in four faces at The Met
Damnatio memoriae—Roman sanctions against memory
Roman funeral rituals and social status: The Amiternum tomb and the tomb of the Haterii
Beginner guides to Roman architecture
An introduction to ancient Roman architecture
Italo-Roman building techniques
Roman domestic architecture: domus
Roman domestic architecture: villa
Roman domestic architecture: insula
Forum Romanum (The Roman Forum)
The archaeological context of the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum)
Imperial fora
Roman art, archaeology and museums
Digging through time
Seizure of Looted Antiquities Illuminates What Museums Want Hidden
Looting, collecting, and exhibiting: the Bubon bronzes
Pompeii
Pompeii, an introduction
The rediscovery of Pompeii and the other cities of Vesuvius
Wall painting
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Roman wall painting styles
Painted Garden, Villa of Livia
Still Life with Peaches
House of the Vettii
Villa of Mysteries
Republic
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Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Temple of Portunus
Maison Carrée
Capitoline She-wolf
Capitoline Brutus
Tomb of the Scipios and the sarcophagus of Scipio Barbatus
Veristic male portrait
Head of a Roman Patrician
Early empire
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Augustus of Primaporta
Ara Pacis Augustae
Gemma Augustea
Gem carving
Preparations for a Sacrifice
Portrait of Vespasian
The Colosseum
The Arch of Titus
The Spoils of Jerusalem, Arch of Titus
Shekel of the Second Jewish Revolt
Portrait Bust of a Flavian Woman
The Forum and Markets of Trajan
Column of Trajan
Middle empire
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The Pantheon (Rome)
Bronze head from a statue of the Emperor Hadrian
A virtual tour of Hadrian’s Villa
Hadrian: The imperial palace, Tivoli
Maritime Theatre at Hadrian’s Villa
Rome’s layered history — the Castel Sant’Angelo
Pair of Centaurs Fighting Cats of Prey from Hadrian’s Villa
Hadrian: Building the wall
Medea Sarcophagus
Equestrian Sculpture of Marcus Aurelius
The Lullingstone Busts
Triumphal Arch of Septimius Severus
The Severan Tondo: Damnatio memoriae in ancient Rome
Severan marble plan (Forma Urbis Romae)
Battle of the Romans and Barbarians (Ludovisi Battle Sarcophagus)
Late empire
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Trebonianus Gallus — emperor or athlete? Rethinking a modern attribution.
Portraits of the Four Tetrarchs
Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine
The Colossus of Constantine
Arch of Constantine, Rome
The Symmachi Panel
Palmyra
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Palmyra: the modern destruction of an ancient city
Temple of Bel
Palmyrene Funerary Portraiture
Temple of Baalshamin

The art of gem carving

by The J. Paul Getty Museum

Watch a modern artist engrave a precious gemstone using the techniques of the ancients.

Video from the J. Paul Getty Museum


Smarthistory images for teaching and learning:
Dioskourides, Gemma AugusteaGemma ClaudiaDioskourides, Gemma Augustea, detail of upper register with (left to right) Roma, Augustus, Oikoumene, and OceanusDioskourides, Gemma Augustea, detail with lower register

More Smarthistory images…

Cite this page as: The J. Paul Getty Museum, "The art of gem carving," in Smarthistory, December 21, 2015, accessed January 27, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/the-art-of-gem-carving/.

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