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Werner Forman

Ba amulet from the tomb of Hornakht, son of the pharaoh Osorkon II who ruled from Tanis during Egypt's 22nd dynasty

Horemheb demolished Akhenaten’s temples to Aten and used the remnants to construct the Ninth Pylon at the Temple of AmunRe at Karnak.

A 1445 Sicilian fresco by an anonymous painter depicting "The Triumph of Death." The Black Death swept Europe, killing 34 to 50 million people – between a third and half of the population.

Women in a 3,300-year-old banquet scene are decpicted wearing cone-shaped objects atop their heads. Such depictions were common in ancient Egypt, prompting speculation whether the cones were an artistic symbol, like a halo, or actual physical objects that served a practical purpose.

Golden twins embody the delicacy and skill of Tairona craftsmanship. The warrior figurines are made of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper commonly used by the Tairona and other pre-Columbian societies in the Americas.

Found in the Thames in 1857, a copper shield dates from 350-50 B.C. Its fine craftsmanship hints at the cultural complexity of Britain’s tribal society. British Museum, London

Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s dream of creating a great empire in the east was destroyed by Octavian’s decisive victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. A Roman coin commemorated the defeat of Egypt.