Ancient Life

Stories about how people lived thousands of years ago, and the art they made

Latest

  1. Get Drawn Into Getty’s Newest Exhibition

    Chalk sketch of a colonnade with various busts and statues; in the distance, a figure can be seen on the ground, sketching.

    Learning to Draw shows how artists developed their skills by studying works of art, live subjects, and the world around them

  2. Dab a Little 3,000-Year-Old Greek Civilization on Your Wrist

    A man in glasses holds a scent strip near several floating bottles of perfume, appearing to evaluate the fragrances.

    Perfumer Michael Nordstrand distilled ancient Pylos into two scents for the Getty Villa Museum. One ingredient was originally raked from goats’ beards in Crete

  3. Would You Survive a Medieval Road Trip?

    A game kiosk in front of a background that reads "Follow the Pilgrimage Road"

    Getty’s new computer game time-travels to the 14th century (and the 1980s)

  4. How Forensics, Fine Art, and the Greek Soccer Team Revealed the Face of a 3,500-Year-Old Warrior

    A bald man is shown from the back, using a haptic device and two computer screens, one with a man's face that looks like it's made of clay; behind that, a man with a realistic face and long curly hair

    A Bronze Age warrior with a fascinating backstory arrives at the Getty Villa Museum

  5. Jewelry That Makes the Past Present

    Round gold brooch with image of a lion's face in the center, made out of tiny glass beads.

    How revival jewelry keeps ancient fashions alive

  6. Makers' Marks

    A signature painted in the corner of a painting hung with an ornate frame is camouflaged by the subject matter

    Getty curators explore the meaning behind artists’ signatures—those flamboyant, modest, or provocatively hidden final flourishes

  7. Recent Discoveries Bring the Ancient Mycenaean Civilization of Pylos to Life

    The Kingdom of Pylos book cover

    Extraordinary archaeological finds provide a wealth of insight into this ancient Greek civilization

  8. Getty Unveils Celebrated Collection of Ancient Glass

    Ancient Glass in the J. Paul Getty Museum book cover

    This globe- and time-spanning assemblage contains some of the rarest pieces in the world

  9. Emblematic of Ancient Rome, Villas Impacted the Entirety of Roman Life

    Ancient Roman Villas book cover

    This sourcebook compiles newly translated Greek and Latin sources to provide rich insights and understanding—even enjoyment—on villas and their importance

  10. A Variety of Greek Inscriptions Provide Insight into Ancient Greek Politics and Culture

    Greek Inscriptions book cover

    These artifacts offer a glimpse into the Mediterranean world as early as the eighth century BCE