Pigment blocks Three blocks of red ochre from which pigment has been removed. Late Upper Palaeolithic (Magdalenian period) about 18,000–12,000 years ago. Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France. Figurative art occurred for the first time in Europe during the Upper Palaeolithic period. Paints were from natural sources such as ochre, manganese and chalk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochre http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/cave-painting.htm http://www.musee-prehistoire-eyzies.fr/homes/home_id24921_u1l2.htm Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1928.293.a-c ) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Vinča-Belo Brdo tell, Serbia Vinca figurine Figurine of seated person, with incised and painted decoration probably representing clothing.Late Neolithic (Vinča period), about 4500-4000 BC Vinča-Belo Brdo tell, Serbia http://www.rastko.rs/arheologija/vinca/vinca_eng.html http://www.iianthropology.org/sitesvinca1.html Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1939.68 ) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Tripolye figurine Female figurine, with traces of painted decoration.Late Neolithic (Late Tripolye period) about 3800–3400 BC. Koshylivtsi, Ukraine http://www.springerlink.com/content/p730x143t0207u83/ http://www.nyu.edu/isaw/exhibitions/oldeurope/sites/all/themes/isaw/Figurines_Of_Old_Europe.pdf Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1910.1196 ) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Danish flint dagger Flint dagger with ‘fish-tailed’ hilt. Late Neolithic–Early Bronze Age, about 2400-1800 BC Sjælland, Denmark http://oldtiden.natmus.dk/udstillingen/bondestenalderen/hindsgavldolllken/language/uk/ Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.4848 ) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Ballyshannon gold disc (‘Sun disc’) Decorated disc of sheet gold. Late Neolithic (metal-using), about 2400 –2100 BC. Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal. Republic of Ireland http://www.libraryireland.com/articles/IrishAntiquitiesDPJ1-31/index.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banc_Ty'ndd%C3%B4l_sun-disc Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1836 p.139.372) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Decorated lunula Gold Lunula (neck ornament) with inscribed designs Late Neolithic (metal-using), 2200-2000 BC. Co. Cork, Ireland http://www.museum.ie/en/exhibition/info/objectsandtechniques.aspx http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/ireland/2200-800BC/gold Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.2931) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Oculus bowl Bowl decorated with oculus (eye) motif. Iberian Copper Age, about 3200-2300 BC Los Millares, Almería, Spain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Millares http://www.losmillares.info/ Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1896-1908 Pr.129) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Radley composite necklace Composite necklace of amber, jet and faience beads. Early Bronze Age, 1900-1700 BC Radley, Oxfordshire, England. http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/BAR1_2008_6_Sheridan_c.pdf Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1937.171) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Bronze Age shaft-hole axe Decorated bronze shaft-hole axe head Late Bronze Age (Br D) about 1400-1200 BC Hungary http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/europe/northern_eastern/2750-750BC/Metalworkinginthecarpathianbasin Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.1528) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Nuraghic figurine Bronze figurine of a worshipper carrying a ram; Late Bronze Age (Nuraghic), 800-700 BC Sardinia http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/europe/italy/Copper%20and%20bronze%20ages/Nuraghicsardinia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuragic_civilization Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1894.24) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Penbryn Spoons Pair of decorated cast bronze ‘spoons’, perhaps used for divination. Late Iron Age, 50 BC – AD 100 Penbryn, Wales. http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/pe_prb/b/bronze_spoons.aspx http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/c02wJXkUTQKJDhabAb9P1Q Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1836 p.147.508) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Ucelby torcs (Iron Age) Two electrum torcs (neck rings) Iron Age, about 120 BC – AD 43 Ulceby, Lincolnshire, England http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/article_index/i/iron_age_torcs.aspx http://johnevans.ashmolean.org/php/artefact-indpage.php?sacc=&sobn=&scoun=&sper=&sprov=&option3=&id=64&fir=8&las=65&submit=Search Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.6659-60) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Iron Age mirror handle Decorated bronze handle for iron mirror Late Iron Age, AD 1-100 Ballybogy Bog, Co. Antrim, Ireland http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/england/south-west/800BC-AD43/mirrors http://johnevans.ashmolean.org/php/artefact-indpage.php?sacc=&sobn=&scoun=&sper=&sprov=&option3=&id=5&fir=8&las=65&submit=Search Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.883) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Hallstatt amber necklaces Three strings of amber beads. Early Iron Age (Hallstatt), about 700-450 BC Hallstatt, Austria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt_culture http://books.google.com/books?id=g6NVVpqhixIC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=hallstatt+amber&source=bl&ots=nzRqLn_xCw&sig=3RjiTp3AEqEmOo5gKYecVVaDCjU&hl=en&ei=SAvJTLHIEcXoOZWCxfAI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&sqi=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=hallstatt%20amber&f=false Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1927.991) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Wittenham Sword (Late Iron Age) ‘The Wittenham Sword’. Iron sword corroded inside elaborately decorated bronze scabbard. Late Iron Age, about 100 BC. From the River Thames at Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire, England http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/objectofmonth/2001-02/theobject.htm http://www.worldtimelines.org.uk/world/british_isles/england/northern/800BC-AD43/warfare Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library (AN1982.1096) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Air Photograph of the Uffington White Horse taken by Major George Allen on 5 October 1935 http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl/w-countryside_environment/w-archaeology/w-archaeology-places_to_visit/w-archaeology-uffington_white_horse.htm http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/britarch/archives/allen-index.html Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library. Reference: Allen 1250 (AA0836) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Air Photograph of Stonehenge by Major George Allen on 8 September 1935 http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/history/ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/373 Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library. Reference: Allen 1160 (AA811) http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Excavations at Vinča-Belo Brdo tell, Serbia, in the 1930s Photographs taken by the official site photographer, Miss Fanny Foster. Type site for the Vinča cultural tradition, about 5500 to 4000 BC in Central and Eastern Europe. http://www.rastko.rs/arheologija/vinca/vinca_eng.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin%C4%8Da_culture Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/

Watercolours from the Ramsauer excavations at the Early Iron Age cemetery at Hallstatt, Austria, 1846-63 Left: Burial 181 Below: Hallstätter See (Lake Hallstatt) http://www.geologie.ac.at/filestore/download/BR0049_083_A.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt_culture http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/806/ Photograph: Ashmolean Picture Library http://www.ashmolean.org/services/picturelibrary/