30 Historical Objects Picture Quiz

3100–3000 BC: What kind of writing is shown on this Mesopotamian writing tablet? It's the oldest known writing system.

2600–1900 BC: Which South Asian civilization does this seal come from? They are the earliest known people in the area.

Around 2,985 BC: This object is a label found in King Den's tomb. What item of clothing was it attached to?

Around 1,250 BC: ‘Look on My Works Ye Mighty and Despair!’ Which Pharaoh is portrayed as martial grandeur here?

700–600 BC: This tablet shows a Noah's arc style flood story. What larger work does it come from? It's one of the world's oldest known pieces of literature.

500–300 BC: Which empire, founded by Cyrus the Great, produced this chariot model?

305–281 BC: This coin is one of the first to include the portrait of a leader. Which Macedonian conquerer is shown here?

196 BC: On this stone, the same inscription is written in three different scripts: Greek, hieroglyphs and demotic Egyptian. It commemorates the first anniversary of Ptolemy V's coronation. It was this Greek inscription that allowed modern scholars to begin to decipher hieroglyphs for the first time. What is its name?

27–25 BC: This Roman sculpture was decapitated by an invading army from Meroë in modern-day Sudan. Which Roman emperor is depicted here?

AD 100–300: This is one the first images of this spiritual leader ever created. Who is depicted here, more than 400 years after his death?

AD 200-400: What is this mysterious Roman object?

AD 600–700: This Sutton Hoo Helmet is one of the most important artefacts of the Medieval period. Which English cultural group did it come from?

Around AD 927: This treasure was probably accumulated through a combination of raiding and trading throughout Europe and beyond. Discovered in Yorkshire, which seafaring people buried it?

AD 1000–1200: Found on Easter Island, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, what are these statues properly known as?

AD 1150–1200: Found in Scotland, what game were these sculptures used to play?

AD 1282: This Malmuk object was a handheld model of the universe. What is it?

AD 1351: These 'David' vases have been described as the most famous porcelains in the world. Which dynasty do they come from?

15th–16th century: Which central American empire produced these double-headed serpents?

AD 1515: This anatomically incorrect woodcut of a rhinoceros (note the horn on the back) was regarded by Westerners as a true representation of a rhinoceros into the late 18th century. Who was its original artist?

AD 1520–1566: These beautiful calligraphic shapes were used in the Ottoman empire to denote important documents. What were they officially known as?

16th century: This Benin Bronze depicts a Yoruba oba. Which non-indigenous people are shown behind them?

AD 1589–1598: This coin was widely used by the Spanish Empire as the first international currency because of its uniformity in standard and milling characteristics. What name was it commonly known by?

AD 1600–1800: This object was used by Javanese people for long, elaborate evening entertainments. What is it?

18th century: The drum was made in the Ghana region of West Africa between 1700 and 1745. However, in which country was it later found?

AD 1795–1805: This is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It was on board the HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin. What is it called?

AD 1840–1845: This simple, mass market set demonstrates the 'patriotic duty' of drinking which British imperial commodity?

c. AD 1829–32: One of the most famous images in the world, Hokusai's The Great Wave would go on to influence Van Gogh, Monet and many others. During which period of Japanese history was it produced?

AD 1903: Marking pennies such as this one was carried out by which political group?

AD 1921: Which event does this plate commemorate?

AD 1977: This company's '][' becomes one of the world's first personal computers. Which company developed this computer?