Artifact Collection

The Makapansgat Pebble
Three-million-year-old Makapansgat Pebble from South Africa. Perhaps the most ancient art object in the world. It is said to have been carried over a distance of four kilometers by Australopithecus

Venus of Brassempouy
The Venus of Brassempouy carved out of ivory some 18, 000 years ago and discovered in Brassempouy, France. Believed to have been carved during the last stage of the Upper Palaeolithic age

Neanderthal spear point
A spear point once belonging to that of Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis). This specimen was discovered in Gorhams Cave, Gibraltar

22, 000 - 30, 000 years old Venus figures
Left to right. a) In fired clay from Moravia. b) In mammoth ivory from France. The Willendorf Venus c) In limestone from Austria. d) In mammoth ivory from Ukraine

Earlier Titanic, Certificate of Discharge, William Edwards
Earlier ship named Titanic - a rare Certificate of Discharge issued to Seaman William Edwards, following his discharge from the ship as an able bodied seaman on 4 January 1890

Bird shaped mortar. Zoolith used to grind hallucinogens
Bird shaped mortar. Zoolith used to grind hallucinogenic substances. It was collected in 1777 by Captain Geronimo Verde on Santa Catarina Island (Brazil). Sambaqui culture (3000 BC-500 AD). Stone

Greek art. Attic krater painted with black figures representing an Homeric battle around the body of a dead warrior (possibly Patroclus). Found at Pharsala. Dated circa 530 BCE. Detail

Mycenaean art. Greece. Funerary Mask in gold foil embossing. Found in Tomb IV at the Acropolis. Mycenae. Dated in 1580 BCE. National Archaeological Museum. Athens

Mycenaean art. Greece. Funerary Mask of Agamemnon in gold foil embossing. Discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in 1876 in Tomb V, Circle A at Mycenae. Dated in 1550 BCE. National Archaeological Museum

Holy artifacts in the Kau Ravi of Kamari, Papua New Guinea
View of holy artifacts in the Kau Ravi of Kamari, Papua New Guinea by Frank Hurley c.1922

Flint hand axe
Photograph of a human-made hand axe, which was discovered in 1859, and is thought to be about 400, 000 years old

Engraved mammoth tusk
Mammoth tusk engraved of Grevettian age. 25, 000 - 30, 000 years ago during the Upper Palaeolithic and within the great Stone Age from Dolni Vestonice, Moravia, Czech Republic

Painted skull of Arius sp. crucifix fish
Specimen of the skull of a crucifix fish painted to resemble a statue of Jesus Christ on the cross. Often painted and sold as curios

Flint handaxe incorporating fossil echinoid
Cast of handaxe from Middle Gravels of Swanscombe, Kent. Loaned by Merseyside Museums; NHM E6870

Catapult used by Roman army during its military campaigns. Colored engraving. 19th century

Carved Hornbill Skull
Casque of a helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) carved to depict a Chinese battle scene set in a town by a river. There also features a figure holding a flag bearing the Chinese w鮠 character

Reindeer antler from Neschers
This reindeer antler from Neschers in France is engraved with a stylised horse. It was created by early humans and found between 1830 and 1848. Date: 1830

Sculpture depicting the goddess of fertility, artifact originating from Tepetzintla (Mexico). Pre-Colombian Civilization. Maya art. Sculpture. MEXICO. FEDERAL DISTRICT. Mexico City

Bone knife from Papua New Guinea
Traditional bone knife of unknown age, from Sepik Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Made from tibiotarsus of Cassowary Casuarius sp

Moro Indian Chief, Philippines
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876) funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

The Furze Platt Hand Axe
The Furze Platt hand axe from the Acheulian culture (Lower Palaeolithic) about 400, 000 years ago. Found in Britain in 1919 the hand axe weighs 2.8 kilos and is 30.6 cm long

Karachi Frog
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge 1858-1949. 180 x 260mm. From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Museum in 1952

Phoenician art. Bronze badge, topped with a bird. Manacor. S
Phoenician art. Bronze badge, topped with a bird. Manacor.Mallorca island. Episcopal Museum. Vic. Catalonia. Spain

Stone jars and bowls with a small spoon and a small grinding stone with may have been used with a cosmetic palette. Tombs from Gerzeh, Egypt. Predynastic Era. C. 3500-3300 BC. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Funerary trappings of a mans grave at Dragsholm. 3800 BC
Funerary trappings of a mans grave. From left to right: Deer antler point, bone pin, wristguard of bone, battle axe of stone, arrowheads of flint and flint blades. Early Neolithic Period. 3800 BC

Urartu civilization. Arrows and quiver from Tushpa or Toprakkale. 7th century B.C. Turkey. Pergamon Museum. Berlin. Germany

Mycenaean art. Greece. Female figure with ritual gesture and necklace. National Archaeological Museum. Athens. Greece

Picture No. 11021941
Mycenaean art. Crete. Vase with zoomorphic decoration based on three large octopus. Found in the tomb 2 at Mycenaean cemetery of Prosymna Argive. Dated in the 15th century BCE

Prehistoric Art. Early Bronze Age. Handmade Jar of clay without decoration. Globular body, wide mouth and a handle. Dated in the third millennium B.C. National Archaeological Museum. Athens. Greece

Horse-head engraved on bone
Late Pleistocene wild horses head engraved on the right fourth metatarsal bone of a horse, specimen (NHM 38745). Found among horse remains from the Late Magdalenian site of Roc du Courbet, Bruniquel

Serpentine cup
A mottled serpentine ornamental cup or tazza on a black marble base. The mineral serpentine is composed of (magnesium iron silicate hydroxide)

Limestone lamp, Magdalenian, from France
Limestone lamp of Magdalenian age, 11, 000 - 18, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from La Mouthe, France

Aurignacian tools
A bone point, probably a spearhead and a flint end-scraper tool of Aurignacian age, 30, 000 - 34, 000 years old from France

Goughs Cave artefacts
Replicas and specimens of artefacts found in Goughs Cave, Cheddar Gorge, Somerset

Limestone lamp with ibex carved on back
Limestone lamp with ibex carving, of Magdalenian age, 11, 000 - 18, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from La Mouthe, France

Venus in limestone
Figure of a woman, or Venus, engraved in limestone, Gravettian age 22, 000 - 30, 000 years old (Upper Palaeolithic) from Abri Pataud in France. Created by Cro-Magnon man

Various carved specimens
A collection of carved specimens including ivory, coral, shell, jet & tortoise shell. A collection of carved specimens including ivory, coral, shell, jet & tortoise shell

Engraved mammoth tusk
Mammoth tusk engraved of Grevettian age. 25, 000 - 30, 000 years ago during the Upper Palaeolithic and within the great Stone Age from Dolni Vestonice, Moravia, Czech Republic

Variety of Gemstones
Left to right, top: Onyx, cornelian, tigers eye, jet, turquoise, lapis lazuli, hematite, jade. Bottom: Ivory, amber, coral, cultured pearl, freshwater pearl, shell, cameo

Rusty screw

Hand-axes, blades & harpoon
The two axe-heads on the left are from the Middle Palaeolithic about 40, 000 BC; the three specimens on the right are from the Upper Palaeolithic abot 20, 000 BC (Agfa Film)

Surface of a rusty screw

Hand-axes & pebble tool
Left to right: Pebble tool from Olduvai about 1.7 million years old; hand-axe about 1 million years old; hand-axe about 350, 000 years old

Matchstick
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showing the fractured surface of a matchstick (x 400 on a standard 9 cm wide print)

Bone needles of Magdalenian age
Bone needles dating back to about 15, 000 years ago. The Magdalenian tools discovered in France are believed to have belonged to early Homo sapiens who hunted reindeer during the last ice age

Flint artifact (Goughs Cave)
Creswellian flint artifacts excavated from Goughs Cave, Cheddar, Somerset dated at around 14, 000 to 12, 000 years old, late upper palaeolithic (Creswellian)

A Dodder-like climber and a harmless snake
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge 1858-1949. 180 x 260mm. From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Museum in 1952

Idol from the Marquesas Islands
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876) funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping