Ancient Life

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

Featured Stories

See Persepolis as It Was 2500 Years Ago

Computer rendering of a large stone entryway of an ancient building flanked by two larger-than-life bull statues.

A new video recreates an ancient site

Army Life as an Ancient Roman Soldier

Copper alloy Roman legionary helmet

For the unprivileged, serving in the ancient Roman army was a path to wealth building, social climbing, and citizenship

Power in a Mummy Portrait

Look closely at this beautiful mummy portrait on display at the Getty Villa and you’ll find powerful signs of wealth, status, and beauty

Latest

  1. The Getty Villa’s New Cocktail Offers a Taste of Aztec History

    A bright yellow cocktail garnished with cucumber, mint, pineapple, and a tajin rim sits on a ledge overlooking a Roman-inspired colonnade.

    Its special ingredient has been enjoyed for thousands of years

    Sep 9, 2026

  2. La Villa Getty brinda un sorbo de la historia azteca con su nuevo cóctel

    A bright yellow cocktail garnished with cucumber, mint, pineapple, and a tajin rim sits on a ledge overlooking a Roman-inspired colonnade.

    Su ingrediente principal se ha degustado durante miles de años

    Sep 9, 2026

  3. What Scholars of Antiquity and Ancient Myth Really Thought of The Odyssey

    A still from the film, The Odyssey, of a ship crossing the sea toward two cliffs.

    Did Christopher Nolan’s adaptation do the ancient tale justice?

    Aug 13, 2026

  4. Getty Casting Call for The Odyssey

    A man wearing a bronze helmet and armor, with fabric draped over his shoulder, looks toward the horizon with a nervous expression as an army of Trojans stands behind him amid the chaos of battle.

    Meet characters from The Odyssey in the Getty collection

    Jul 15, 2026

  5. New Getty Volume Charts Evolution of Mexican Artifacts from Curiosity to Art Collector’s Dream

    Cover of book “Artifacts to Art” featuring a sepia-toned photograph with a large stone artifact and an elegantly dressed figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

    Explore how Pre-Hispanic Mexican antiquities became one of the most highly sought after items in midcentury LA

    Jul 6, 2026

  6. New Getty Volume Charts the Evolution of Rock Art Conservation

    Cover of book “Rock Art” featuring ancient petroglyphs carved into reddish-brown rock face under a bright blue sky, depicting human figures and geometric patterns.

    This interdisciplinary anthology highlights global research, Indigenous perspectives, and new technologies shaping conservation today

    Jul 6, 2026

  7. Getty Presents “Stendahl’s World: Marketing Ancient Mexico and Modern Art in Los Angeles”

    Sepia photo of a man with white hair behind a table filled with Mesoamerican statuettes

    Exhibition examines the commercial networks, celebrity culture and entrepreneurial strategies that shaped the market for pre-Hispanic art in 20th century Los Angeles

    Jun 23, 2026

  8. How to Merge with the Gods

    A man opens a case that holds an ancient scroll.

    Getty’s ancient Egyptian “Book of the Dead” manuscripts go on view

    Apr 15, 2026

  9. Meet an Ushabti, an Ancient Egyptian Statuette Made for the Afterlife

    Golden-green statue stands with arms crossed and hieroglyphs on its body.

    What we know about this figure discovered in Neferibresaneith’s tomb

    Mar 9, 2026

  10. The Ancient Women Who Ruled Their Kingdoms

    A bracelet embedded with colorful, geometric glass pieces around a central figure with wings and wearing a large headdress.

    Long before modern conversations about gender and power, Nubia offered a unique model

    Mar 4, 2026