Ancient Art

March 2, 2021

1,900-Year-Old Ceremonial Chariot Has Been Discovered Near Pompeii

In the year 79 CE, volcanic ash and lava from Mount Vesuvius rained down over the Ancient Roman town of Pompeii in Italy. Today, the site is known for its unique (though traffic) preservation of a moment in ancient everyday life. Due to the coating of volcanic material, many organic materials have survived through the imprints they left behind. These include loaves of bread, animals, and even ancient humans attempting to flee the town.

Read Article

December 3, 2020

“Sistine Chapel of the Ancients”: Researchers Discover Thousands of Ice Age Rock Paintings in the Amazon

Deep within the dense Amazon rainforest in modern-day Colombia, early human settlers of the region had recorded their surroundings in rock art. Now, an 8-mile stretch of cliff decorated with thousands of drawings has been discovered deep in the remote site known as Serranía de la Lindosa. The collection of detailed illustrations dates back to between 11,800 years and 12,600 ago—just as the world was warming out of the Ice Age.

Read Article

April 17, 2020

Classical White Marble Sculptures Were Actually Painted But Lost Color Over Time

Marble sculpture is a cornerstone of art history. The ancient Greeks left a legacy of transformative sculptural works that reached for unprecedented naturalism in Hellenistic gems such as Venus de Milo and Nike of Samothrace. This was succeeded by the ancient Romans, who copied their major works and created portrait busts and equestrian statues of major historical figures. At the time of their completion, however, these ancient masterpieces looked remarkably different.

Read Article

My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.