The only online ancient Art Resource directory of its kind! What, where, why, when and how… Ancient Art resources at your fingertips Antiquities, ancient art, artifacts – basic definitions Why do people collect antiquities and ancient art? Where to find antiquities and ancient art on display Where to go to read more about ancient cultures Antiquities dealers who sell authentic ancient art Auction Houses / Galleries that sell antiquities Groups/online forums for antiquities, ancient art Dealers who sell fake ancient art (must read!) How to authenticate and test ancient art How to value, appraise and insure your antiquities Where to sell or consign your ancient art        Baboon, wedjet eye, - Metropolitan Museum of Art Head of Water Diety - Metropolitan Museum of Art Classical Antiquities Classical antiquity is a broad term for a period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea comprising the civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome (collectively the Greco-Roman world). It began with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (ca. 8th/7th century B.C.), continuing through the rise of Christianity and the decline of the Roman Empire (5th century A.D.), and ending with the dissolution of classical culture at the close of Late Antiquity (ca. 300-600 A.D.) The antiquities of ancient Greece and Rome were considered to be special not only because they were often beautiful, but because ancient Greek and Roman authors wrote about the men who made them and achieved fame in their own lifetimes. The close association between fine art and classical archaeology was also a feature of the first public museums in Europe (excerpt taken from The Beazley Archive). Greek Antiquities        Roman Antiquities        Etruscan Antiquities Hydria (Water Jar), Greek Archaic - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Mixing Vessel Handle, Roman - The Getty Villa, Malibu Egyptian Antiquities The history of ancient Egypt spans the period from the early Pre-Dynastic settlements of the northern Nile Valley to the Roman Conquest in 30 BC. The Pharaonic Period is dated from around 3150 B.C., when Lower and Upper Egypt became a unified state, until the country fell under Greek rule in 332 B.C. Ancient Egyptian Art    Eyptian Dynasties    Egyptian Periods            Shawabti of Yuya, Egypt - Metropolitan Museum of Art Pre-Columbian Antiquities The term Pre-Columbian refers to the time before the arrival of Columbus in the Americas and to the aboriginal cultures that evolved as early as 7000 B.C., in an area reaching from the Southwestern United States through Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Pre-Columbian is used especially often in the context of the indigenous civilizations of the Americas, such as those of Mesoamerica (the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacano, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, the Aztec, andhe Maya) and the Andes (Inca, Moche, Chibcha, Cañaris). Central American                 The Caribbean Mayan Area      Mexico       South America       Pair of Ancestor Figures - Metropolitan Museum of Art Other Ancient Cultures When it comes to ancient art, most people think of the art and artifacts of the "Classical" Greek, Egyptian or Roman world, or the Pre-Columbian art of the Western Hemisphere; however, huge quantities of ancient art have also come from other areas of the world. Asia, for example, produced some of the finest quality art of any of the ancient cultures, starting at the time of the Egyptian Dynastic periods, and running through the end of the Ming Dynasty in 1621 B.C. While the scope of 'other' ancient cultures is vast, here is a brief rundown of some of the major cultures and dynasties found around the globe. Ancient China              Ancient Korea                Ancient Japan Ancient Cambodia       Other Cultures Seated Buddha, Tang Dynasty - Metropolitan Museum of Art