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. Thrace’s Gold Glimmers Anew

    A collection of gold objects, mostly serving vessels with intricate carvings

    The Getty Villa‘s special exhibition, Ancient Thrace and the Classical World: Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece was prematurely closed on January 7, 2025 due to the Palisades Fire. But you can still read on to discover the fascinating treasures of an ancient region spanning present-day Bulgaria, and parts of Romania, Greece, and Turkey

    Feb 27, 2025

  2. Art That’s Fit for a Queen

    A light blue vase depicting a woman holding a vessel in her left and with her right arm outstretched

    For royal women of ancient Greece, art and power went hand in hand

    Feb 26, 2025

  3. New Catalogue Illuminates Ancient Thrace’s Interactions with Greece, Persia, and Rome

    Ancient Thrace and the Classical World book cover

    This lavishly illustrated volume explores the profound impact Thracian art and culture had on the classical Aegean world

    Feb 24, 2025

  4. Cheese or Seawater in Your Wine?

    A marble relief depicting a wine festival with many cherubic nude children celebrating around a trough of grapes

    Ancient wine expert Emlyn Dodd reveals the things ancient Greeks slipped into their goblets, the games they played at drinking parties, and other surprising practices inspired by fine oinos

    Jan 21, 2025

  5. Would you drink out of a 2,000-year-old silver stag?

    An intricately carved silver vessel that is half horn and half stag

    Explore the ancient artistry of a Parthian Empire luxury wine vessel

    Dec 12, 2024

  6. An Ancient Roman Toy Skeleton

    A partial skeleton carved out of green stone

    Guess who's coming to dinner?

    Oct 31, 2024

  7. Ancient Thrace and Its Treasures Highlighted in Major Getty Exhibition

    A gold and silver figurine with a face.

    Exhibition examines the cultural relations between ancient Thrace, Greece, and Rome

    Oct 22, 2024

  8. The Evolution of Medusa: Monster, Victim, or Maiden?

    A painting of a woman's head. Her mouth is open in a scream, blood drips from her neck, and she has snakes for hair

    This Halloween, let’s take a closer look at a misunderstood figure

    Oct 16, 2024

  9. Ancient Burials: Instructions (Not Always) Included

    White text over a gold background reads "Ancient Burials, instructions not always included"

    A look at life after death in the ancient world

    Oct 10, 2024

  10. Do We Know What Ancient Romans Looked Like?

    A portrait bust of an ancient Roman. Text: Did his hair look like this? Did he have a beard?

    Curator Jens Daehner tells us how to see more than faces at the Getty Villa

    Sep 26, 2024