Ancient World Gallery Interactive Map

The following interactive maps use a map of our contemporary world for reference purposes. Please note that geopolitical boundaries have shifted significantly since ancient times. Additionally, the exact points of origin for most ancient objects remain unknown or ambiguous. Location markers for the objects are placed as approximations, intending to generally reference the cultures that created them.

Four materials — turquoise, jade, cartonnage, and marble — are highlighted in this section. These materials were common to several ancient civilizations and were selected for objects that had a variety of uses.

Provenance refers to the history of an object's ownership. Although a full record of many ancient objects’ previous whereabouts still remains a mystery, the SCMA makes every effort to conduct ongoing research in this area.

This section highlights three thematic sections in the gallery: Vessels, Powerful & Magical Figures, and Currency & Coinage. It is a selection of objects across diverse cultures in the ancient world that used objects in similar ways for religious rituals or in daily life.