Materials from History

Frequently used by the Chinese and Maya, among others. Comes in a variety of colours, but the most famous is green.

Used by the Romans and during modern times. Buildings that have used it include the Pantheon and Fallingwater.

The three materials that the Dead Sea Scrolls are made out of.

Material that the colour ultramarine was originally made from. Makes up parts of Tutankhamen's burial mask.

Type of stone used for Angkor Wat, Liverpool Cathedral and Petra.

Type of iron used to make a dagger, bracelet and headrest found in Tutankhamen's tomb, and several axes from the Shang dynasty.

Colour of the marble from Verona, used in the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica in Venice. Specifically, it was used for a staircase within the former and for columns within the latter.

Building material made from earth and organic materials. A Spanish word.

Material used to make the rope bridge Queshuachaca.

Daguerreotypes use a sheet of copper plated with this material.

Type of material stave churches are constructed from.

German alchemist Hennig Brand once tried to make gold from urine, but created this element instead.

Animal product that was used to make the dyes Tyrian purple and Tekhelet in the ancient world.

Precious stone that was traded from the North and Baltic Seas to the Mediterranean in prehistoric and ancient times. Originally formed from an organic material.

Material used in the sculptures of the Nok culture, the Etruscan Apollo of Veii and the Imperial roof decorations of China.

Materials used in the Bayeux Tapestry (not including the dye).