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The Standard of Ur is a hollow, wooden, trapezoidal box that was found in the Royal Tombs of Ur which is located in modern-day Iraq. This piece is made of lapis lazuli, wood inlaid with shell, red limestone, and bitumen, and it dates back to ca. 2550-2400 BCE. The box is decorated on four sides with three registers on each side, and it shows the first evidence of a pictoral narrative. The two larger sides of the box show scenes of war and peace. The war side shows warriors trampling their enemies and leading captives back to the Sumerian king who resides at the top of the piece and draws attention to himself through heirarchical scale. The peace side shows some sort of banquet or celebration where the servants bring offerings or supplies to the king. This piece shows the growth of the wealthy elite and is evidence of trade networks with Samaritans. It is currently located in the British Museum in London.

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This Egyptian scroll was rolled up and placed in Hunefer's tomb. It was filled with spells and incantations that were thought to guide him throughout the afterlife. This piece dates back to c. 1275 BCE and is made of painted papyrus. These scrolls were common in ancient Egyptian burial practices and were made for specific individuals. The narrative scene shows Hunefer recounting his deeds to the gods as his heart is weighed against a feather. This was believed to be the last judgement before Osiris, the god of the underworld. Luckily this scene shows that Hunefer's heart was lighter than a feather which meant a safe and blessed journey in the afterlife. The Egyptians had a strong belief in the afterlife and filled their tombs with art that would aid them in this journey. This scroll can be found in the British Museum in London.

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This Lamassu is from the citadel of Sargon II, and it dates back to ca. 720-705 BCE. Lamassu were winged mythical creatures with the head of a man and the body of a lion or bull. They were invented by the Assyrians and believed to be protective figures. These apotropaic figures are always found in pairs and they are usually placed in doorways to important rooms, typically throne rooms. This lamassu separated the throne room from the courtyard, which points to the power and divinity of the king. These creatures were thought to be both wise like a man and strong like a beast, combining the best aspects of both species into one powerful sculpture. This sculpture was originally painted and would have had vibrant wings. These statues also contained cuneiform that explained their apotropaic function and power. This Lamassu is a low-relief sculpture made of limestone and can be found in the Musee du Louvre in Paris.

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This rock relief sculpture comes from the Zagros Mountains in modern-day Iran. These mountains were believed to be the home of the gods. This sculpture dates back to around 520 BCE during the reign of King Darius. This piece is 10x18 ft and shows King Darius's defeat of rebel forces and victory over all surrounding nations. King Darius is emphasized using hierarchical scale, and the narrative of this scene points to his success in battle as he crushes his opponent under his foot. Nine other kings are presented to Darius as his subjects, each representing a different culture as seen in their skirts. This piece combines image and text that share the king's dominion over all. The text was written in three scripts: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian, pointing again to the idea of ruling over all. The idea of ruling over many nations and combining cultures was a common theme in Persian art and architecture.

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This Doryphoros sculpture was first discovered in Palestra at Pompeii in 79 CE but originally dates back to ca. 450-440 BCE. This Roman statue is made of marble but was originally copied after a Greek bronze sculpture. The sculptor, Polykleitos, referred to this sculpture as "Canon" meaning "rule" or "standard." This sculpture was considered to be the ideal male figure, pointing to the idea that beauty is rooted in ideal mathematical measurements. Physical beauty was believed to be a reflection of character, and this was the figure that people were measured against. The figure embodies a contrapposto stance where all of his weight is to one side, there is a sway in the hips, and a slight turn in his head. This sculpture is currently located at the Museo Archaeologico Nazionale in Naples.

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This Greek oil flask dates back to about 420 BCE and is currently located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This terra-cotta, red-figure vase is a beautiful representation of classical Greek pottery. Lekythos vases were commonly used in funerary rituals either to be burned with the body or left as an offering. The vase is designed to point the viewer's eye to the central scene of an injured man sitting on a rock. This man is believed to be Philoktetes, a Greek hero, who was injured after being bitten by a snake and sits awaiting help. Because of his injury, he was an outcast on the island of Lemnos. He is accompanied by Hercules' bow and arrow, which was needed to gain victory in the Trojan War. Trojan War scenes were very common on vases like this one.

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This sculpture is from the Greek Hellenistic period and dates back to ca. 190 BCE. The Hellenistic period is categorized as having a sense of drama and motion in its compositions. This period encouraged multiple points of view and different subject matters instead of only young Greek men. This piece is considered to be the hallmark of Hellenistic art as the goddess of victory, Nike, stands triumphantly over a ship to potentially indicate an important naval victory. Victory statues were common during this time and served as a sense of pride and security for the people. This statue was found at the sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothrace and is part of a much larger composition that would have stood over 18 ft tall. This piece is currently on display in the Louvre.

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Augustus as Imperator (also known as Augustus of Primaporta) is a monumental sculpture that serves as a piece of political propoganda in provinces that point to the power of Augustus. This sculpture is made of marble, and it dates back to the late first century CE. It was originally located in Livia, Prima Porta, Italy, and today it can be found at the Musei Vaticani in Rome. Augustus was the first Emporer of Rome, and he claimed to be descended from the lineage of the god, Venus. The small figure at his feet, Cupid, is Venus' son and points to Augustus' connection with the gods. The cuirass that he wears on his chest also points to his connection to the divine, his military victory, and a coming time of peace (Pax Romana). This breastplate artistically shows the ideals of Augustus and serves as a reminder of his authority, power, and vision for his empire. The sculpture itself draws on themes from Ancient Greece as Augustus is seen in a contrapposto stance and is an idealized young man. This statue is very similar to the Doryphoros statue and creates a connection between his rule and the former Golden Age.

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This statue dates back to the third or fourth century CE. It is a marble sculpture of Jesus as the good shepherd and is located in the Vatican Museums. This sculpture was likely commissioned by a wealthy patron. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 CE, which marked a shift in the narrative content of Roman art. Despite this shift, there is a consistency in artistic style that comes from classicism. This figure is in a contrapposto stance and resembles the god, Apollo. People of this time were used to seeing statues of their gods, so they kept that tradition but replaced the figures to fit a Christian perspective. The only difference we see between Christian art and previous Roman art is its narrative context. In Early Christian art, it was very typical to see Jesus as either a shepherd or a teacher.

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Sant Vitale is a Byzantine church that stands as one of the most important examples of Eastern Roman art and architecture. It was completed in 547 CE and is located in Ravenna, Italy. It is a centrally planned, octagonal structure that is covered by a dome, which was typical of most churches at this time. Starting in about 730 CE, a decree was put in order by Leo III to destroy images in order to prevent the worship of objects before God. Luckily, Ravenna was far enough from the city of Rome that it escaped this artistic tragedy known as iconoclasm. It's one of the only structures of this time that obtains its original decoration. There is a sense of de-materialization in this structure that masks the supports with ornamentation to distract the viewer from its function. The interior of this church holds many famous and beautiful mosaics such as Christ as Pantocrator as well as Justinian and Theodora with their entourage.