Art, obsession, and identity
The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records included aboard the Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records, a time capsule of sorts, contain sounds and images that scientists hope will one day be intercepted by an intelligent extraterrestrial life form.
A 4th-century BCE gold orphic tablet prayer sheet from Thessaly, Greece.
A hyperpyron (Byzantine coin) of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos showing its typical scyphate (cup-shaped) form.
The third pharaoh of the 21st Dynasty, Psusennes I, was afforded a magnificent funerary mask upon his death in circa 1001 BCE.
Sometimes referred to as the El Dorado Raft, this exquisite artifact was made anywhere between 600 and 1600 CE by the Muisca, an indigenous pre-Columbian group of peoples.
The northern Afghanistan archaeological site of Tillya Tepe has yielded a wealth of priceless artifacts dated to around the 1st century BCE. Treasures include this intricate golden crown.
This outstanding Nordic Bronze Age artifact was discovered in Denmark in 1902. A thin sheet of gold decorates one side of the bronze disk being pulled by a horse.
Dated to circa 1600 BCE, this extraordinary bronze disk features the oldest depiction of the cosmos. It's inlaid with gold symbols representing a sun or full moon, a lunar crescent, and stars.
It's known as the Golden Pectoral, and it's dated to the second half of the 4th century BCE. It's a testament to Greek workmanship, and the central lower tier shows three horses, each being torn apart by two griffins.
The Sicán culture, also known as Lambayeque culture, that inhabited what is now the north coast of Peru between 750 and 1375 CE was celebrated for its iconography, commonly represented by a mask face and upturned eyes.
Made by the Tairona people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in north Colombia, this carefully crafted ornament dates back to the 10–16th centuries BCE.
This palm-sized treasure originates from the medieval Kingdom of Mapungubwe, which is located in modern-day South Africa.
This fine set of Sicán culture beaker figure gold cups was found in Lambayeque, Peru. Archaeologists have dated them back to the 9th–11th centuries CE.
A Malagana funerary mask from Colombia, dated 200 BCE–200 CE.
The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found. Unearthed in the UK, the vast treasure trove included this gold sword hilt fitting with cloisonné garnet inlay.
Unearthed in Bulgaria in 1949, the artifacts date back to the 4th–3rd centuries BCE.
The Panagyurishte Treasure, one of the richest finds of the modern era, included this fabulous golden phiale (detail).
In 1972 some of the oldest gold treasure in the world was recovered from the so-called Varna Necropolis burial site (4569–4340 BCE) near Varna, Bulgaria.
A gold funeral mask discovered at the ancient Greek site of Mycenae. It's dated back to 1550–1500 BCE.
The mystical allure of gold has fascinated humanity since before antiquity. As early as the Bronze Age, simple jewelry was being fashioned out of this glittering precious metal. Later civilizations produced fantastically elaborate pieces crafted from gold, items of rare beauty that today are simply priceless.
Browse the gallery and unearth a treasure trove of some of the world's most incredible gold artifacts.
The world's most incredible historic gold artifacts
Exquisite riches found over the course of history
LIFESTYLE Gold
The mystical allure of gold has fascinated humanity since before antiquity. As early as the Bronze Age, simple jewelry was being fashioned out of this glittering precious metal. Later civilizations produced fantastically elaborate pieces crafted from gold, items of rare beauty that today are simply priceless.
Browse the gallery and unearth a treasure trove of some of the world's most incredible gold artifacts.