The history of the ancient world is told in museum collections across the globe. Here are just a few suggestions for visiting locations of significance in the ancient world, hearing ancient stories, exploring art and archaeology, and more!
Start Your Journey
1. Museum of the World. The British Museum and Google present an interactive journey through history!
Ancient World
2. Stonehenge. Thousands of years ago, someone placed a ring of standing stones with amazing precision. Who built Stonehenge and why? Take a virtual tour with English Heritage and check out Google Arts and Culture’s photo collection. Watch the sun rise or set with SkyScape. Check out objects in this Stonehenge exhibit curated by the British Museum. While in England, take a 73-mile march along Hadrian’s Wall, built to protect the Roman Empire’s northern territories. Learn about conservation of a Romano-British urn and hear a podcast about Stonehenge.
3. The Great Wall of China. More than 2,000 years old and stretching more than 3,000 miles, the Great Wall of China is an impressive structure. However, contrary to popular belief, you can’t see it from space. In this video from the British Museum, learn how to make a traditional hanging scroll and explore some of the 23,000 items in the museum’s China collection.
4. Africa. Visit the British Museum’s collection from Africa. The Smithsonian’s Studio Africa project connects kids to the art of Africa, and the Learning Lab explores the African-American experience through the Smithsonian’s newest museum. Learn about Moorish architecture and hear African Voices from the across the continent.
5. Highway of the Viking Age. Archaeology of glaciers and ice patches in places like Norway provides historians and scientists a glimpse of culture and movement in the Viking Age. Secrets of the Ice explains how a reindeer spear, ice mummies, other artifacts, and the search for a lost mountain pass are helping to tell 1,000-year-old stories.
6. Ancient Egypt: Explore Ancient Egypt with PBS’ “Nova.” With Discovering Egypt, kids can discover Egyptian writing (hieroglyphs) and math, check out a hieroglyphic “typewriter,” learn about cool inventions, and more! At the Musee Louvre, tour Egyptian Antiquities and find artifacts in the Smithsonian’s collections. Learn how mummies were made (ES) and hear Ancient Egyptian poetry from the British Museum’s collection.
7. Greco-Roman. British Museum curators tell the story of the Trojan War in a series of videos. With the museum’s Early Morning Explorers podcast for ES kids, hear the story of Odysseus with a sensory focus. Museum podcasts answer the question What did the Romans ever do for us?, and introduce you to the Women of Troy. Check out National Geographic’s Ancient Rome collection and visit the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture.
8. Taj Mahal. This stunning marble mausoleum, commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for a beloved wife, took nearly 20 years to complete. Some 20,000 artisans worked on the tomb, mosque, gardens, and other buildings, located in the Indian city of Agra. The National Museum in New Delhi explores ancient art and culture.
9. Machu Picchu. The ruins of Machu Picchu (“Old Mountain” in Quechua) are from an ancient civilization and are a marvel of engineering. Find more about civilizations of the Americas in this British Museum collection. From the Smithsonian, explore Qhapaq Ñan, the great Inka Road connecting the empire called Tawantinsuyu.
10. Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Rapa Nui, a remote volcanic island in Polynesia (a territory of Chile), is home to nearly 900 monuments. Called moai, the massive figures were carved from stone in the 13th to 16th centuries. Examine a 3D model of Ahu Nau and learn from indigenous people about moai and their meanings.
More World History and Artifacts in Cool Museum Collections
11. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Made for, with, and by kids, the #MetKids site lets you explore the map, hop in the time machine, and watch cool videos.
12. Smithsonian Museums. Explore history and culture, art and design, and more.
We’ll be sharing more tips so watch for the next installment of DLD Daily Dozen!