Ancient Artifacts and Symbols

Anubis Mural

Photograph by the Bridgeman Art Library/Getty Images

The tomb of Sennedjem, a respected artisan who worked on the tombs of the pharaohs, was found completely intact in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in 1886. Here a brilliant mural in his burial chamber depicts the jackal-headed Anubis, Egyptian god of the dead, tending the casket of Sennedjem.

Aztec Sun Stone

Photograph by B. Anthony Stewart

The Aztec Sun Stone, a 24-ton sculpture honoring the sun god Tonatiuh, was discovered in Mexico City in 1790. Currently on display at Mexico's National Museum of Anthropology, this massive artifact was carved in the 15th century. It depicts Tonatiuh (center), the four previous sun gods (in boxes around Tonatiuh), and the 20 days of the Aztec calendar, among many other symbols.

Fertility Goddess

Photograph by Douglas Miller/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

The Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl was a complex deity, known in one aspect for luring people into bad behavior and in another for absolving them of their sins. This figurine at the Tate Gallery in London shows Tlazolteotl during childbirth in her mother goddess aspect.

Eye of Horus

Photograph by Robert Harding

This gold-and-glass pectoral amulet was discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamun near Luxor, Egypt. It depicts the familiar Eye of Horus, a symbol of protection from evil, flanked by the cobra goddess representing Lower Egypt and the vulture goddess representing Upper Egypt.

Ankh

Photograph by Kenneth Garrett

This ankh-shaped, gold-sheathed mirror case was taken from the tomb of Tutankhamun in southern Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The Ankh form, found in many ancient Egyptian tombs, is the Egyptian hieroglyphic character meaning "life."

Easter Island Sculptures

Photograph by James Blair

Giant moai statues dot the grassy flanks of a dead volcano on Easter Island. These massive stone sculptures were likely built by Polynesians thought to have colonized the tiny South Pacific island some 800 years ago.

Terra-Cotta Warriors, China

Photograph by O. Louis Mazzatenta

Platoons of clay soldiers were buried with China's First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, to accompany him during his eternal rest. These life-size figures, shown here during excavation at the emperor's burial complex near the city of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi Province, are more than 2,200 years old.

The tomb, which extends over 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) and is said to have required a labor force of 700,000 to build, was discovered by a group of peasants digging a well in 1974.