Neo-Assyrian gypseous alabaster relief, circa 883–859 BC.
This relief epicting a winged genius (known as an Apkallu or sage). This monumental artwork originates from the Northwest Palace of King Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), located in modern-day Iraq.
Height: 223.5 cm (7 feet 4 inches)
Width: 195.5 cm (6 feet 5 inches)
The Princess of Vix's golden torque (or torc)
Dating back to around 500–480 BC and discovered in 1953 within the elite Vix Grave in Burgundy, France.
This Hallstatt culture masterpiece is famous for its unique terminals shaped like beautifully detailed winged horses (Pegasi).
The torque represents a fascinating blend of Celtic craftsmanship and Mediterranean influence, showcasing lion-paw pedestals and a heavy arc of pure gold.
24-carat solid gold neck ring weighing 480 grams,
Outer Diameter:27.4 centimeters (10.8 inches).Height:21 centimeters.Width:23 centimeters.Depth / Thickness:4.5 centimeters.
In a shocking daylight heist on July 24, 2026, the torque was stolen from its display case at the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais in Châtillon-sur-Seine. A major criminal investigation is actively underway.
Yerebatan Sarnıcı, Istambul, Tukey,
The famous "temple" of 300 columns is actually the Basilica Cistern, a great 6th-century underground water palace made of recycled columns from old buildings. It has 336 columns, 9 meters high, arranged in 12 rows.
The Romans and Byzantines used pieces of old temples to build it, so each column is different. In the background, there are two column bases with Medusa faces, one on the side and the other upside down. It was commissioned to be built by Emperor Justinian I in 532.
Essen Crown,
The Essen Crown is the oldest surviving example of a fleur-de-lys crown in Europe.
Modern historical analysis has rejected this romantic origin story. Research suggests the crown was actually crafted later, between 1050 and 1100.
Instead of being used by a mortal king, it was created specifically as a votive crown to adorn the famous Golden Madonna of Essen, the oldest fully sculptural figure of Mary north of the Alps. The statue was ritually crowned during important liturgical feasts.
The base consists of a heavily silver-alloyed gold band, with a second outer layer soldered on made from pure gold wire filigree.
It is lavishly decorated with regular rows of natural pearls and cabochon-cut gemstones, including a prominent triangular-set sapphire on the front.
Among its embedded jewels is a late Roman gem carved from red almandine garnet featuring the head of Medusa.
Diameter: 12.5 cm (approx. 4.9 inches).
Band Width (Height): 3.5 cm (approx. 1.4 inches), excluding the height of the four protruding lily spikes.
"Procession Panel"
Comb Ridge, Beaar Ears National Monument, Utah, United States,
The Notorious P.I.G.'s administration has significantly diminished the size of two national monuments in Utah that hold sacred lands and rich archaeological sites.
Through a series of executive proclamations issued under the Antiquities Act this week, The Convicted crook shrunk the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments by approximately 90% each.
As part of the cuts, the Corrupt Don shaved Grand Staircase-Escalante’s 1.87 million acres down to a mere 181,500 acres, and similarly cut Bears Ears’ 1.36 million acres down to 121,100 acres.
The monuments encompass ancestral lands belonging to the Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, and several other Native American nations. Bears Ears, according to the Inter-Tribal Coalition that advocates for the protection of the monument’s lands, is home to over 100,000 Native American archaeological sites, including intricate petroglyphs and cave drawings.
The environmental advocacy organization Earthjustice has vowed to take legal action against the administration over the cuts, arguing Chito Benito illegally revoked the status of millions of acres of protected federal land.
The recent cuts are the Farty-Seven’s most drastic trimmings to the two Southern Utah parks yet. During his first administration he reduced Bears Ears by 85% and Grand Staircase-Escalante by about half. The monuments momentarily returned to their Obama-era sizes after Biden took office in 2021.
Photo by National Geographic Image Collection/Aaron Huey
Akan goldweight (abrammuo) shaped like a fish,
They served as counterweights for measuring gold dust, which was the primary currency for merchant transactions in the region prior to 1900.
While early weights featured geometric designs, later figurative weights like this fish often referenced local proverbs or dietary staples connected to the regional economy.
Dating from the 18th to the late 19th century, South-central Ghana or Côte d'Ivoire,
Between 5 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) in length.
Weight: Typically ranges between 10 to 60 grams, matching standard West African and North African Islamic Islamic trade weight currencies of the pre-colonial era.
Courtesy: Smithsonian National Museum of African Art collection
An Egyptian limestone pair statue of the royal acquaintances Nebeday and Mrs-Sat,
The hieroglyphic inscription identifies the couple and their son, Meh-er-nefer, who is recorded as the dedicant of the monument in honour of his parents.
Mes-sat puts her arms around him in a loving embrace
Old Kingdom, mid- to late 5th dynasty, circa 2400-2300 B.C.
24⅜ in (61.8 cm) high.
Courtesy: Christie's
'The Mogul Mughal'
The rectangular-cut emerald weighing 217.80 carats.
the obverse engraved with Shi'a invocations in elegant naskh script, dated 1107 A.H (1695–1696 AD).
The reverse carved all over with foliate decoration, the central rosette flanked by single large poppy flowers, with a line of three smaller poppy flowers either side, the bevelled edges carved with cross pattern incisions and herringbone decoration, each of the four sides drilled for attachments,
2.06 by 1.56 by 1.56 inches (5.2 by 4.0 by 4.0 cm).
‘Gus’
Tyrannosaurus rex, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous (approximately 67 million years ago), Hell Creek Formation, Harding County, South Dakota, USA
This extraordinary fossil, excavated over field seasons in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
T. rex lived during the Late Cretaceous, in the Maastrichtian age, a time marked by warm climates, high sea levels, and rich coastal floodplains that supported an extraordinary diversity of life across what is now western North America. These environments, from river systems to open woodlands, created the ecological conditions in which large herbivores such as Triceratops and Edmontosaurus flourished, and in turn sustained apex predators like T. rex.
Today, T. rex reigns as the world’s most recognized dinosaur – a creature so embedded in popular consciousness, from blockbuster movies to children’s coloring books, that its silhouette is known worldwide. It is distinguished by an immense skull, deep‑rooted long teeth, and an exceptionally powerful bite, alongside a highly developed sense of smell and forward‑facing vision. Its massive hindlimbs and muscular tail suggest a predator built for bursts of speed and force. “Gus” would have sat right at the top of the ecosystem, using its strength, sharp senses, and adaptability to become one of the most powerful predators the world has ever seen.
Courtesy: Sotheby's / Photography: Matthew Sherman