An astoundingly short visit to the British Museum

The exterior of the British Museum

Inside under the atrium

The Rosetta Stone

Need we say more?

The Lewis Chessman

In 1831 a remarkable hoard of carved walrus ivory was discovered on the Isle of Lewis in the western Isles, Scotland. It consisted of 93 pieces and included 78 chessman, 14 large gaming counters and an elaborately carved belt buckle. Eleven of the chessman are at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh and the rest of the hoard is at the British Museum. When found some of the chessmen were stained red. The earliest medieval chess sets appear to have combined red with plain ivory rather than the black and white pieces familiar to the game today.

The Sword of State (About 1473-83)

This two-handed sword was used by the Price of Wales at royal ceremonies. Its huge size makes it a potent symbol of royal power. The steel blade was commissioned from Germany and bears the mark of two running wolves. Along the edge of the handle are invocations to the Virgin Mary, which may have been intended as a protective charm. On both sides of the grip are panels engraved with heraldry. The identifiable arms signify that the sword belonged to one of two princes of Wales. The first is Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Edward IV who would later become King Edward V. The second is Edward, son of Richard III.

The Adoration of the Three Wise Men (About 1505-10)

This panel from an altarpiece shows two of the wise men who came to offer gifts at the birth of Christ. The third wise man occupied a part of the panel to the left, now lost. The Virgin holds one of the precious gifts in one hand and supports the Christ-child in the other. The figure behind her, leaning on a stick, is here husband, Joseph who is depicted as an elderly man. This panel was carved by the celebrated medieval artist Tilman Riemenschneider. In 1483 he settled in the city of Wurzburg, Germany. He quickly rose to prominence and was given the title of 'Master'. This enabled hit to employ apprentices and market his works under his own name. This panel is believed to come from an altarpiece of St Anne, commissioned for the Marienkappelle, in the city of Rothenburg, Germany.

Sutton Hoo ship burial and helmet

These finds come from a spectacular Anglo-Saxon grave at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk. Dating from the early AD 600s, the burial was arranged inside a wooden chamber built in the middle of a 27-metre-long ship, covered by a high earth mound. It is the richest grave yet discovered from early medieval Europe, and would have commemorated a leading figure -perhaps a king- of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of East Anglia.
This is one of just four complete helmets to survive from Anglo-Saxon England. It has been painstakingly reconstructed from the shattered condition in which it was found. The Sutton Hoo helmet's exceptional survival and haunting appearance have made it an icon of the early medieval period. The helmet consists of an iron cap with a crest, neck-guard, cheek-pieces and face-mask. It was originally covered with tinned copper alloy panels, decorated with animal and warrior motifs. Viewed together, the helmet's mouth, nose and eyebrows form the image of a flying beast. Similar helmets are known from eastern Sweden, implying shared cultural traditions and interactions with East Anglia. The scarcity of surviving Anglo-Saxon helmets indicates that only those of great status could possess them.

Ivory casket panels (early AD 400s)

These carvings are among the earliest known depictions of the events surrounding Christ's death and resurrection. In the first panel, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate condemns Christ, who carries the cross to his place of execution. The second panel shows Judas committing suicide after betraying Christ, followed by the Crucifixion. Christ's empty tomb lies open in the third panel, and the final scene shows him resurrected amongst his apostles. The four panels once formed a small casket which may have held holy relics or consecrated bread.

Hinton St Mary roundel

This is the central roundel of a 4th-century AD mosaic floor from a villa at Hinton St Mary, Dorset. It is one of the most important early Christian remains from the Roman Empire. The roundel is probably the earliest known mosaic picture of Christ. It is the focal point of the main floor in the position usually occupied by a figure of a pagan god or goddess. However, the Greek letters X and P (chi and rho) behind the head indicate that the person is probably Christ. They are the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek and the usual symbol of early Christianity. At either side are pomegranates, signalling immortality. In the corners of the main mosaic are four heads. This position, often given to personifications of the four seasons or winds, is occupied here  by what are possibly Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four Gospel writers. The mosaic formed the floor of two interlinked rooms of the villa. In the smaller room, the mosaic's central scene is of the pagan hero Bellerophon overpowering the triple-headed Chimaera - perhaps a Christian symbol of Good overcoming Evil. Discovered and excavated between 1963 and 1964, the full mosaic measures 8.1x5.2 metres.

Horned Helmet (150-50 BC)

Found in the River Thames at Waterloo Bridge, London. Originally this helmet would have been a gleaming golden colour and decorated with red glass studs. The helmet is unlikely to have been used in battle and was probably a form of ceremonial headdress. The helmet is a very rare find, it is the only Iron Age horned helmet to be found in Europe. The helmet is made from sheet bronze sections held together with bronze rivets. The raised decoration is repeated on the back and front of the helmet.

King Ashurbanipal's Flood Tablet (Late Assyrian, 7th century BC)

The cuneiform text on this clay tablet is startlingly similar to the biblical story of Noah and his Ark in the Book of Genesis. When George Smith, an assistant in the British Museum, first read this inscription in 1872 he 'jumped up and rushed about the room in a great state of excitement, and, to the astonishment of those present, began to undress himself'. The tablet describes how the gods sent a flood to destroy mankind. Ut-napishtim was warned in secret by the god Ea to build a boat to ensure the survival of humans and animals. Birds were released before the boat landed safely on Mount Nitsir in northern Assyria. Versions of this story are known from at least 1000 years earlier.

Lindow Man

Lindow Man is a well-preserved human body found in a peat-bog at Lindow Moss near Manchester, in 1984. He died a violent death, sustaining many injuries before he was placed face down in a pool in the bog. Lindow Man's discovery triggered an unprecedented scientific investigation, which ultimately led to his display at the British Museum. Radiocarbon dating indicates that he was killed sometime between 2 BC and 119 AD. This means that he was probably killed shortly before or after the Roman conquest of this part of Iron Age Britain in the early 60s AD. The Romans outlawed human sacrifice, but without a more precise date of death we cannot say for certain whether this was the most likely reason for him to be killed. Lindow Man could also have been the victim of a violent crime or and executed criminal.

Forepart of a colossal chariot horse from the quadriga (About 350 BC)

The four-horse chariot group(quadriga) positioned on the summit of the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos (modern Bodrum) was a great feat of engineering. Each horse was carved in sections, with a tail attached separately. Here the original bronze bridle and bit remain. The Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, gave its name to all subsequent monumental tombs. For bonus points, can you name the other 6 Wonders of the Ancient World?