Things

Zebu cattle: Domesticated animals with humps that were found in the Indus Valley1 . Zebu (bos indicus) cattle were domesticated in South Asia from local wild aurochs2 .

Mohenjo-Daro citadel: A high citadel (12m) in the west end of the city, protected by burnt-brick fortification with towers3 .

The Great Bath: A public building in Mohenjo-Daro4 .

Mohenjo-Daro sanitation system: Wealthier homes in Mohenjo-Daro had bathing areas and toilets connected to sewer systems5 . The city also had covered drainage ditches and drain systems6 .

Ola Leaf Manuscripts: Possible writing material in the Harappan Civilization, consisting of leaves that were soaked and pounded to provide a smooth surface for daily writing by scratching on the surface and then wiping with ink-covered cloth7 ....

Soapstone Seals: Carved seals in the Harappan Civilization that may have been signatures or official stamps, used to indicate ownership or authorisation of transactions9 . They depict motifs, including human figures, animals, and abstract symbols9 .

Niuheliang Temple: A Hongshan culture site that contains a complete life-sized clay female head with jade eyes found in cruciform structure 25m long with semi-subterranean chambers10 .

Bi and Cong: Jade objects found in elite Liangzhu burials11 . In historic times, bi=heaven and cong=earth, but it is unclear what it meant or how it was used in ancient times11 .

Chariot Burials: Burials where chariots, drivers, and horses were slaughtered and placed in pits near rulers’ tombs for use in the afterlife12 .

Blackware Ceramics: Highly burnished, wheel-made, thin-walled (eggshell) black wares from the Longshan culture13 .

Scapulamancy: The practice of divination using animal scapulae (shoulder blades), particularly through the patterns of cracks formed when heated. While not explicitly named in the sources, the description of oracle bone divination in the Shang Dynasty aligns with this practice14 ....

Hang tu: A construction technique used by Longshan communities to build defensive rectangular walled communities16 . It involved spreading layer upon layer of loess soil and pounding it with wooden poles16 .

Tian: Heaven. The Shang Royal Court was organised as a mirror of the god in heaven17 .

Ting: A cooking pot with solid and hollow legs from the Longshan culture13 . By Zhou times, the cooking cauldron (ting) was a symbol of the state and ownership of ting was essential to maintain kingly status18 .

Taotie motif: Designs found on Liangzhu jades that are similar to Taotie designs found on later Shang bronzes19 . They are also found on some bronzes from the Xin'gan tomb, Jiangxi Province20 . Taotie masks are in the foreground of Shang bronzes, with spirals in the background21 .

Ishtar Gate: A gate at the royal palace at the head of the Processional Way in Babylon22 . It was decorated with blue-glazed bricks with dragons, lions, and bulls in molded relief22 .

Processional Way: A road in Babylon that led to the Temple of Marduk and ziggurat (Etemenanki)22 .

Temple of Marduk: A temple in Babylon where there was a 6 m tall gold statue of the god inside22 ....

Alphabet: One of the most significant inventions of the Near East and a Phoenician contribution24 .

Lamassu: Figures in the form of colossal bulls with sweeping wings and human heads25 . They were placed at the entrances to the palace, courtyards, and reception halls of the North-west palace on a raised citadel in Nimrud as ritual protection and symbols of wisdom, sight, and strength25 ....

Cyrus Cylinder: Sometimes stated to be the oldest known declaration of human rights, although some claims are not supported by scholarly translations of the text27 . Historians believe that it is a standard statement made by monarch at beginning of reign27 .

Behistun Inscription: A monument of Darius’s reign that played a key role in decipherment of cuneiform28 ....

Tomb of Midas: A 50m high tomb of Midas (or possibly his predecessor Gordias) that contained 3 large bronze cauldrons, 166 bronze bowls, ladles, pitchers and tables30 ....

Electrum: The sources make no mention of electrum.

Etemenanki: A ziggurat in Babylon22 .

Fora: Centres for day-to-day life in Roman cities and venues for elections, public speeches, criminal trials, and commercial activities32 .

The Colosseum: The largest ancient amphitheater ever built and still the largest standing in the world33 . It was used for gladiatorial contests and other public spectacles34 .

The Pantheon: A Roman temple built by emperor Hadrian and dedicated ca. 126 AD35 . One of the best preserved of all ancient Roman buildings and features the world’s largest unreinforced (coffered) concrete dome35 ....

Aqueducts: Structures constructed beginning in the Republic Period to transport water for private use, as well as to supply public baths, farms, gardens, and mining operations36 .

Legion: A unit of 60 centuries in the Roman military37 .

Roman Forum: (Forum Romanum) developed gradually in small valley between Palatine and Capitoline Hills38 .

Hadrian’s Wall: The sources make no mention of Hadrian's Wall.

Harpax: The sources make no mention of harpax.

Opus caementicium: Roman concrete that had the ability to set under water, making it suitable for artificial harbor networks