Symbols and myth

Marble statue of a sleeping man with curly hair lying on fabric, arm draped over his head.
SLEEP AND DREAMS

The ancients dreamt the same dreams as us

There is something comforting about realising that, even in Homer’s day, people wondered what the hell their dreams meant

by Sam Dresser

Painting with surreal figures including a fish-headed person and abstract human forms with a dark sky.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Let me open a treasure chest to explain how metaphor works

Once maligned by philosophers, metaphors are a key communication tool for extending the power of literal speech

by Elek Lane

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.
SYMBOLS AND MYTH

A Navajo creation story illustrates why humans must forge their own path

Directed by Dallin Penman

Illustration of cupped hands holding a golden artefact with intricate patterns against a textured background.
TRADITIONAL ARTS

A Bronze Age pendant links lives centuries apart in this wondrous short

Directed by Samantha Moore

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.
MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA

Butterflies are reborn as memories of a past love in this striking visual poem

Directed by Sofia El Khyari

Painting of three individuals seated at a dimly lit table with food, in a rustic interior setting, evoking a warm atmosphere.
STORIES AND LITERATURE

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.
WONDER AND THE SUBLIME

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

Photo of eight varied stone doughnut-shaped artefacts on a blue background with a 5 cm scale bar.
RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

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

Photo of two people stargazing in a field under a starry sky with mountains and trees in the background.
NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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

Stone sculpture of a serene figure in draped robes with a halo against a dark background.
SYMBOLS AND MYTH

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

Expressionist painting of a figure kneeling inside vibrant layered shapes in green and purple tones.
PSYCHIATRY

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

Illustration of a courtroom with animals as participants, a lion as the judge, and various creatures in the jury box.
ANIMALS

What our use of animal-based slurs and endearments says about us

The image of the adorable kitten and the insult of calling someone a ‘pussy’ have more in common than you might realise

by David Egan

Photo of ancient ruins on a rocky hill with a cloudy sky and distant mountains in the background.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

This is not the end. Apocalyptic comfort from ancient Iran

Faced with the collapse of their empire, Zoroastrians sought comfort in the apocalyptic – and their literature flourished

by Domenico Agostini & Samuel Thrope

Ivory sculpture of a lion-human figure shown from three angles on a black background.
CREATIVITY

Our greatest invention was the invention of invention itself

Hypothetical thinking is the key to sustained innovation and creativity: invention drove the evolution of the human mind

by Keith Frankish