Symbols and myth
![A dimly lit painting depicting four people gathered around a dining table in a rustic interior, illuminated by a warm light source.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/88bb35ce-76fc-4fab-aace-bbb8395e77a7/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Ancient artefact with gold sun, moon, and stars on a dark blue-green background, likely depicting an early astronomical observation.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/74a4de8c-ca40-45d8-bcb3-05641089a333/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![A stylised figure drawn in glowing red lines stands on a cliff reaching towards a dark sky full of stars above a calm sea. The scene has a mystical atmosphere.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/201abfcd-50fe-40cb-aa31-09cf18517553/navajo-tales-the-stars-landscape-2-v2.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Symbols and myth
film
A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path
Directed by Dallin Penman
![Various coloured stone rings of different sizes arranged on a blue background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/33ddaeb3-220b-4735-9d9e-34232997397b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Two people sitting on a blanket under a starry night sky, with mountains and tall trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6eb9399e-a4b1-445b-934c-4bc265585867/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Illustration of cupped hands holding a golden artefact with intricate patterns against a textured background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/556c85c7-9d19-40c2-8ff0-dd1c945899fa/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Traditional arts
film
A Bronze Age pendant links lives centuries apart in this wondrous short
Directed by Samantha Moore
![Stone statue of Buddha with serene expression and draped robes, backs onto a circular halo, displayed against a dark background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3d998de7-bb7b-4897-be51-2e9061cde2b5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Abstract painting of a kneeling, distressed figure inside a colourful, cavernous space with purple, red and green organic shapes.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/17456623-2a90-4a34-9156-c6ec1a1a441e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Abstract illustration of a face with closed eyes and black-tipped fingers covering the mouth. Blue and purple splashes and a butterfly adorn the image.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f962b8c5-c898-4fc6-8e32-191cd960012f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Memory and nostalgia
film
Butterflies are reborn as memories of a past love in this striking visual poem
Directed by Sofia El Khyari