The Aetsi are a north Germanic-Baltic group described by Roman Tacitus in 98 CE. With strong connections to the trade of coveted amber,...

Electrum is a natural alloy of silver and gold . In the ancient world, electrum is a metal of superior value due to its hardness and...

Verdigris is the green rust or patina on copper, created as the metal reacts with oxygen in the environment. Copper corrodes green to...

Çayönü Tepesi (Cayonu) is a Neolithic settlement in SE Turkey. From c. 8630-6800 BCE it's a site of innovation, agriculture and human...

Limonite is an iron earth mineraloid among the first colors of the Stone Age palette. Grinding limonite produces yellow ochre. Other...

Carnelian (early: cornelean ) is already used in the Stone Age to make beads. Pebbles of the reddish orange gemstone might be polished by...

Nephrite jade is the foremost commodity to travel along the Pacific Coasts of the East. The seaway route is the original Jade Road named...

Myth and mystery surround the natural green cube of nephrite found at Hattusa. A Bronze Age capital of the Hatti and Hittite Empires,...

With spiritual meaning as well as dusky allure, powdered black kohl (kajal, kajol, or tiro) is one of the oldest widespread types of...

Turquoise is beloved for thousands of years by people from royals to the richly challenged. The world's first known turquoise mine is...

One of the crystals known since ancient times, amethyst holds it own characteristics, magic and myth. Purple is hard to get ancient...

Spiritual alchemy uses the principles of alchemy to achieve harmony and fulfillment in life. Alchemy incorporates shapes, symbols,...

With the favored practice of naming early civilizations after their grave types, here is the Catacomb culture. The progressive and...

The ancient town of Kültepe (Kultepe, Kanesh, Kaneš), where the earliest writing originates, rises to a prosperous trade city and kārum ...

Asteria or Star Stones create a star-like inner glow. Star sapphires belong to this group. In the ancient world they're valued by Greeks...

Early prehistoric use of gold is for religious purposes, ornament or decor. In 1500 BCE, Thutmose of Egypt decrees gold to be used for...

Spiritual alchemy uses the power of nature, psychology and metaphysical processes of alchemy to transcend the limitations of the mortal...

In the Bronze Age, the Trzciniec culture (2400 - 1300 BCE) occupies areas of Central-East Europe in Poland and parts of Lithuania....

During the late Bronze Age 2000 - 1200 BCE and after, the Amber Roads form passage for trade, merchants, craftspeople, criminals,...

The Philosopher's Stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum ) conjures elements of primal lore and eternal powers. In history and legend, the...