Antiquities
Objects from antiquity
Antiquities are objects from ancient times—artifacts, artworks, monuments, and relics of civilizations long past.
The term typically applies to items from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, or other classical cultures: The museum's collection of antiquities includes pottery, coins, and sculptures.
Antiquities laws govern the trade and export of such objects, often to prevent looting of archaeological sites.
The singular antiquity more often refers to ancient times as a period: stories from antiquity.
Preserved items from antiquity
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- treasuresPrized possessions or valuables
- sculpturesCarved or molded artworks
- potteryFired clay objects
vases · statues · bronzes · figurines · amulets · sarcophagi · mosaics · frescoes
Competitive public sale
- dealerOne who sells goods
- collectorOne who gathers items
- provenanceRecord of ownership
- appraisalEstimation of worth
market · Sotheby's · Christie's · gallery · authentication · valuation · acquisition · forgery
Inherited collective traditions
- patrimonyInherited estate or legacy
- UNESCOCultural arm of UN
- repatriationFormal return to homeland
- ownershipLegal right of possession
export ban · illicit trade · Elgin Marbles · Rosetta Stone · colonial · contested · claims · treaty
Gathered set of items
- exhibitionPublic display of items
- displayPresentation for viewing
- curatorCollection overseer
- gallerySpace for displaying artwork
vault · storage · acquisition · deaccession · repatriation · British Museum · Louvre · conservation
Act of unearthing
- siteDesignated location
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- tombUnderground chamber for remains
burial · temple · ruins · discovery · expedition · preservation · conservation · restoration
relics
Preserved items from antiquity
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- treasuresPrized possessions or valuables
- sculpturesCarved or molded artworks
pottery · vases · statues · bronzes · figurines · amulets · sarcophagi · mosaics · frescoes · tablets
auction
Competitive public sale
- dealerOne who sells goods
- collectorOne who gathers items
- provenanceRecord of ownership
appraisal · market · Sotheby's · Christie's · gallery · authentication · valuation · acquisition · forgery · looting
cultural heritage
Inherited collective traditions
- patrimonyInherited estate or legacy
- UNESCOCultural arm of UN
- repatriationFormal return to homeland
ownership · export ban · illicit trade · Elgin Marbles · Rosetta Stone · colonial · contested · claims · treaty · convention
collection
Gathered set of items
- exhibitionPublic display of items
- displayPresentation for viewing
- curatorCollection overseer
gallery · vault · storage · acquisition · deaccession · repatriation · British Museum · Louvre · conservation · catalog
excavation
Act of unearthing
- siteDesignated location
- digUnearth by shoveling
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
tomb · burial · temple · ruins · discovery · expedition · preservation · conservation · restoration · dating
- ancient textsscrolls, scroll, Euclid's Elements, Epic of Gilgamesh, codex
Antiquitiesreproductions
Copies of originals
replicas · forgeries · fakes · counterfeits · copies
Antiquitiesjunk
Worthless discarded items
trash · disposables · bric-a-brac · kitsch · trinkets
- Egyptian antiquitiesAncient Nile Valley artifacts
- Greek antiquitiesAncient objects from Greece
- antiquities tradeBuying and selling ancient artifacts
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