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Abbasid

Islamic Caliphate

Abd Al-Malik

fifth Umayyad caliph who made coins

Al jabr

ninth century mathematics book

Ara Pacis Augustae

Altar dedicated to pax romana

Bayt al hikma

a renowned library, intellectual center, and translation hub founded in Baghdad by the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century

caliphate

an Islamic state under the leadership of a caliph

Chang’an

Chang'an, meaning "Eternal Peace," is an ancient capital city in China with over 7,000 years of history, serving as the capital for 13 dynasties including the Han and Tang. Located in modern-day Xi'an, it was a global center of culture and trade, acting as the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.

Hajj

the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca

Harun al-Rashid

fifth Abbasid caliph, famous for leading the Islamic Empire to its Golden Age peak, characterized by unparalleled cultural, scientific, and economic prosperity centered in Baghdad.

Haudenosaunee

a powerful, historic alliance of Indigenous nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora—originally located in present-day New York State

ho Christos

Christ/Anointed One

Hoxne hoard

the largest cache of Late Roman gold and silver discovered in Britain, found in 1992 near Hoxne, Suffolk, by Eric Lawes while searching for a lost hammer. It consists of 14,780 coins and ~200 luxury items, including silver-gilt pepper pots, gold jewelry, and spoons, all deposited in a buried wooden chest in the early century AD.

Imperator

Roman Commander

Justinian

Justinian I (reigned 527–565) was a prominent Byzantine emperor known for attempting to restore the Western Roman Empire's lost territories, codifying Roman law into the Corpus Juris Civilis, and constructing architectural marvels, most notably the Hagia Sophia. He significantly shaped Byzantine culture, legal foundations, and religious policy.

Mississippian

a complex, mound-building Native American civilization in the Midwestern and Southeastern US

Piperatoria

Pepper pot

Princeps

Princeps is a Latin term meaning "first in time or order," "foremost," "chief," or "leader". It is primarily known as an unofficial title adopted by Roman emperors, starting with Augustus in 27 BC, to signify their role as the "first citizen" (princeps civitatis) rather than an outright monarch, while holding supreme power.

Translation Movement

Abbasid-funded effort in Baghdad to translate major secular Greek, Persian, and Indian scientific and philosophical texts into Arabic

Xuanzang

Xuanzang (602–664) was a renowned 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, and traveler famous for his 17-year pilgrimage to India (629–645) to obtain authentic Buddhist scriptures. He is best known for bringing hundreds of Sanskrit texts to China, translating them into Chinese, and writing the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.

Abd al-Malik Coins

Damascus; 696-697; First Islamic coins

Arabian Bronze Hand

Yemen; 100-300; Paganism before Islam

Hinton St. Mary mosaic

Dorset; 300-400; Cultural blend and one of the earliest depictions of Christ

Head of Augustus

Meroe, Sudan; 27-25 bce; Political reach but also tensions

Harem Wall-Painting

Samarra, Iraq; 800-900; Insight into Muslim women’s lives

Tang Tomb Figures

Henan, China; 728; Cultural exchange and afterlife

Paracas Textile Fragment

Peru; 300 bce; Signify high status and have cultural motifs

Maya Maize God

Honduras; 700; Important agricultural god