Symbols and myth
Stories and literature
idea
Ovid’s tales of mutual love show he was more than a poet of rape
Ovid’s epic poem explores two sides of the Roman idea of love: one led by violence and domination, the other by mutual desire
by Stephanie McCarter
Wonder and the sublime
idea
Bronze Age people looked to the skyscape to navigate their lives
Long before stargazing helped humans navigate the Earth, the skyscape gave Bronze Age people mystery and wonder
by Kata Karáth
Memory and nostalgia
film
Butterflies are reborn as memories of a past love in this striking visual poem
Directed by Sofia El Khyari
Rituals and celebrations
idea
Far-flung ancient communities forged bonds through broken rings
What can the fragments of Neolithic slate rings found in Finland tell us about social relationships 6,000 years ago?
by Marja Ahola, Elisabeth Holmqvist & Petro Pesonen
Nature and the environment
idea
Why people across the world see constellations, not just stars
Orion, the Big Dipper and the rest reflect shared features of human perception – but also diverse cultural interpretations
by Simon J Cropper, Duane W Hamacher, Daniel R Little & Charles Kemp
Symbols and myth
idea
Why the first Buddhas in art wore finely folded Greek tunics
How the iconography of Greek art influenced the development of an increasingly standardised image of the Buddha in India
by Garrett Ryan
Psychiatry
idea
This isn’t just art, but a supercharged act of meaning-making
Psychiatric art is crammed with meaning yet it actively resists interpretation. This paradox lies at the heart of its appeal
by Shruti Ravindran