Napoleon's Scientific Expedition to Egypt

Who knew? Napoleon's engineers and artists studied ruins of ancient Egypt --- discovered the Rosetta Stone -- and introduced Europe to the mysteries of this ancient world. This was an exhibit at the Linda Hall Library in Kansas City.

Illustration: The Zodiac of Dendera is a large carved stone slab showing the constellations of the zodiac. It was discovered in a small chapel at Dendera by Vivant Denon in 1799. Denon made a drawing, and subsequently another was made by Prosper Jollois and Edouard Devilliers. In 1822, the zodiac was wrested from its chapel ceiling and taken to Paris, where it became an object of intense interest to astronomers, who hoped to use the star positions to date the artifact.

Lewis Chessman, British Museum

Lewis Chessman, British Museum, originally uploaded by RobRoyAus.

The Lewis Chessmen in the British Museum were probably made in Norway, about AD 1150-1200
Found on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

The chess pieces consist of elaborately worked walrus ivory and whales' teeth in the forms of seated kings and queens, mitred bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders and pawns in the shape of obelisks.

(Written by RobRoyAus on Flickr)

Neptune and Amphitrite

neptune and amphitrite
Originally uploaded by heavenuphere.

This beautiful mosaic is very large and decorated a wall at Herculaneum. (from flickr)