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On the Ocean: The Famous Voyage of Pytheas
Sometime around 330 BCE, Pytheas, a little-known Greek merchant, embarked on an astonishing voyage. It was a voyage that would take him far beyond the known boundaries of the Mediterranean, into lands thought to exist only in myth and legend...
Article
Indian Ocean Trade before the European Conquest
Finding a maritime route to the East and gaining access to the lucrative spice trade stood at the root of the European Age of Exploration. However, when Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached the Indian Ocean in 1493, he...
Article
Colour & Technique in Renaissance Painting
There were three principal painting techniques during the Renaissance: fresco, tempera, and oils. In all of these techniques, colour was an important part of the painter's armoury, allowing them to create images that would strike a chord...
Article
Eyes on the East: Chronicles of the Indian Ocean Spice Trade
As the 15th century ended, Europeans were still mostly in the dark about the Eastern world. Early travelers like Marco Polo had given the West tidbits of information, but these accounts were too highly colored and fragmentary to provide a...
Interview
Interview: Conquering the Ocean by Richard Hingley
In this interview, World History Encyclopedia sits down with author Richard Hingly to chat about his new book Conquering the Ocean: The Roman Invasion of Britain published by Oxford University Press. Kelly: Do you want to tell us a bit...
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Tang Three-colour Glaze Jar
A storage jar with the three-colour glaze typical of ceramics made during China's Tang dynasty. 8th century CE. (British Museum, London)
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Colour Detail of The Madonna with Canon van der Paele
A detail of The Madonna with Canon van der Paele painting by the Netherlandish Renaissance artist Jan van Eyck (c. 1390-1441 CE). 1436 CE. (Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium)
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Relief of Dionysus with Restored Colour
Comparison between a relief of a drunken Dionysus with a digitally restored version. Dionysus leans on a satyr while Maenads dance around him. A small Pan tugs on his robe. This restoration shows the relief in the original colours it was...
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Maori Mere Pounamu (Hand-Held Weapon) Showing Some Colour Ranges
Maori mere pounamu (hand-held weapon) made from greenstone, in Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand.
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Myra - Ocean Necropolis
Myra is an ancient town in Lycia. The city has two necropoli of Lycian rock-cut tombs in the form of temple fronts carved into the vertical faces of cliffs at Myra: the river necropolis and the ocean necropolis. The ocean necropolis is...