The Metropolitan Museum of Art ★★★★★
There is much quality material for students, educators, and enthusiasts at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art web site. Start with the Metropolitan Museum of Art Timeline of Art History, a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world. Each timeline page includes representative art from the Museum’s collection, a chart of time periods, a map of the region, an overview, and a list of key events. The timelines, accompanied by world, regional, and sub-regional maps, provide a linear outline of art history, and allow visitors to compare and contrast art from around the globe at any time in history. In addition to the timeline, the Met provides free downloads of learning activity sets: try these modules for Roman and Byzantine art.
Mark Millmore’s Ancient Egypt ★★★★☆
Mark Millmore’s fun and educational site is comprehensive, regularly maintained, and features several great sections. Major sections include Hieroglyphs, Numbers and Egyptian Maths, Pyramids and Temples, Kings & Queens, Rebuilding Ancient Egyptian Temples in 3D, Ancient Egyptian Videos and Documentaries, The Discovering Egypt Newsletter, and Ancient Egyptian Quizzes. The Hieroglyphics section contains Ancient Egyptian Mathematics Problems to see if you could “survive” in the world of Egyptian numerals and mathematics. The Pyramids and Temples section is a virtual tour featuring plenty of great pictures of the temples at Karnak, Luxor, Dendara, Philae, and Ramses II. The Kings and Queens section is more essay format, but again features excellent images. Hatshepsut (“The Woman who was King”), Thutmose III (“The Napoleon of Ancient Egypt”) and and Ramses II (“The Last Great Pharaoh”) figure prominently in this section. Embedded YouTube video and 3D multimedia play a key role at the site, especially in the engaging Rebuilding Ancient Temples exposition and the Ancient Videos section. keep up-to-date on Ancient Egypt news and website updates via Mark’s bi-monthly newsletter and take your hand at some of his quizzes. Finally, the site has a Discovering Ancient Egypt shop where you can game and educational software, books, posters, art prints and photos with an ancient Egyptian theme. You can also purchase a downloadable version of Senet, the ancient Egyptian board game!
The British Museum ★★★★☆
The British Museum was founded in 1753 to promote universal understanding through the arts, natural history and science in a public museum. Its various online offerings are impressive. The British Museum offers downloadable learning activities organized by student level (ages 3-6, 6-11, 11-14, 14-16, 16+), like this set on Ancient Greece for high-school students. Some of the activities are meant for a museum visit, but it is possible to virutally tour many of the museum’s collections online.
TimeMaps ★★★★☆
TimeMaps allows students to view maps of world cultures and civilizations, contextualize them on a timeline with their contemporaries, and get a broad understanding of their rise and fall. Maps are annotated and link to encyclopedic entries. See TimeMaps’ teacher section for more details. A must-see resource!
BBC: Ancient History ★★★★☆
BBC’s History section offers an impressive array of exhibitions, activities, games, photo galleries, and other resources. The BBC Ancient History section focuses on Anglo-Saxons, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Vikings. Among the special attractions are examples of Roman art found in Britain, planning your own Viking raid, and discovering treasures from the ‘cradle of civilization.’ Take some time to explore more of the BBC History offerings. There are engaging sections entitled Multimedia Room, Historic Figures, Timelines, Programmes, Reading Room, Talk History, For Kids, and History Trails. Aimed at upper elementary and lower secondary students.
Perseus Project ★★★★☆
Perseus Project is an impressive digital library for Greek and Classical resources from the Classics Department at Tufts University for primary and secondary source scholarly works that cover the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world. The collection contains extensive and diverse resources including primary and secondary texts, site plans, digital images, and maps. Works are listed by author and you can browse the Greco-Roman Collection or use the search engine. Art and archaeology catalogs document a wide range of objects: vases, sculptures and sculptural groups, coins, buildings and gems. The site also has FAQs, essays, a historical overview, and an extensive library of art objects, and other resources. Special exhibits include The Ancient Olympics and Hercules. Site is updated regularly.
Wonders of the African World ★★★★☆
In this PBS production Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. challenges the widespread Western view of Africa as the primitive “dark continent” civilized by white colonists. The series covers Black Pharaohs, Meroe, Gedi, the Swahili People, Zanzibar, the Ashanti and Dahomey (Benin) Kingdoms, Aksum, Gondar, the Churches of Lalibela, the Dogon, Grand Mosque of Djenne, Empires of Mali & Ghana, the Tuareg, Great Zimbabwe, a 1,000 year old South African city – Mapangubwe, the Shona People, etc. Includes a kids’ activity page, teachers’ lesson plans, and audio clips.
Ancient History: Egyptians ★★★★☆
This is an impressive introduction to Ancient Egypt aimed at students from the BBC. Major categories include Pyramids and Monuments, Mummification, Gods and Beliefs, Pharaohs and Dynasties, Daily Life, Hieroglyphs, a Timeline, and Related Links. Highlights from The Pyramids and Monuments section include an image gallery of the “top ten” Ancient Egypt sites, and an interactive diagram of Khufu’s Pyramid complex. The Mummification section features an animated “Mummy Maker” embalming game, and The Gods and Beliefs contains a photo gallery of both Egyptian sacred animals and the ‘Death in Sakkara’ game. The Pharaohs and Dynasties contains various essays, including a discussion of Hatshepsut, Ramses II, and photo gallery of Tutankhamun tomb and great dynasties. Special features include an Ancient Egypt Timeline and the animated games Death in Sakkara: An Egyptian Adventure. A nice mix of essays, images, and active-learning multimedia.
Oriental Institute Virtual Museum ★★★★☆
The Oriental Institute Museum is a showcase of the history, art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. The Museum exhibits major collections of antiquities from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Iran, Syria, Palestine, and Anatolia. The Oriental Institute Virtual Museum makes use of a series of Apple QuickTime VR panoramic movies to take you on a tour of each of the Museum’s galleries, accompanied by descriptions of each alcove and their artifacts. Where appropriate, links to related materials, such as the Museum’s Highlights From The Collections, the Photographic Archives, and relevant Oriental Institute Archaeology and Philology projects elaborate on the most significant objects in greater detail.
Turning the Pages ★★★★☆
Turning the Pages is an award-winning interactive display system developed by The British Library to increase public access and enjoyment of some of its most valuable treasures. Visitors are able to virtually “turn” the pages of manuscripts in a realistic way, using touch-screen technology and animation. There are currently fifteen treasures on display in Turning the Pages including: the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Diamond Sutra, the Sforza Hours, the Leonardo Notebook, the Golden Haggadah, the Luttrell Psalter, Blackwell’s Herbal, the Sherborne Missal, and Sultan Baybars’ Qur’an.
Internet Ancient History Sourcebook ★★★★☆
The Internet History Sourcebooks are wonderful collections of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts for educational use by Paul Halsall of Fordham University. The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook contains hundreds of well-organized sources; the main sections are Human Origins, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Israel, Greece, Hellenistic World, Rome, Late Antiquity, and Christian Origins. The Ancient History Sourcebook also includes links to visual and aural material, as art and archeology play a prominent role in the study of Ancient history. There are also pages designed specifically to help teacher and students: Ancient History in the Movies, Using Primary Sources, Nature of Historiography, Other Sources of Information on Ancient History, and more.
BuddhaNet ★★★★☆
An interesting and broad site that includes Qs and As, historical background, vivid images, and more. Some of the major categories include “Buddhist Studies”, “eBook Library”, “Buddhanet Audio”, “Archived File Library”, “World Buddhist Directory”, “BuddhaZine” (a kind of buddha devoted magazine), and “Meditation”. It integrates the complexities of the religion with the basics very well and has so many subtopics that it is difficult not to find what one is looking for. Some of the special features include audio files of chanting, a photo documentary of Buddhism, teacher’s guides, and crossword puzzles and games.
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians ★★★★☆
Part of PBS’s Frontline series, this companion site explores archeological clues to Jesus’ life, paints a portrait of his world, examines the gospels and the first Christians, and discusses why Christianity succeeded. From Jesus to Christ features the testimony of New Testament theologians, archaeologists, and historians who address issues relating to Jesus’ life and the evolution of Christianity. The site also offers interactive maps, a timeline, an anthology of primary sources, a discussion forum, and a biblical quiz. A new addition is the edited transcript of a two-day symposium at Harvard University which served as a follow-up to the FRONTLINE broadcast and featured scholars’ presentations, workshops and audience discussion.
Muslims ★★★★☆
This recent PBS addition examines Islam through stories of diverse Muslims. The “Frequently Asked Questions” is like “Islam 101” as it concisely explains the basic principles of Islam, including the most widely accepted definition of “jihad.” This site provides an abundance of fascinating facts about Islamic history, basic beliefs, and various other topics through its portrayal and interviews of various Muslims.
BBC: The Story of Africa ★★★★☆
This BBC site features Africa’s top historians and analyzes the events and characters that have shaped the continent from the origins of humankind to the end of South African apartheid. Among the topics covered are the rise and fall of empires and kingdoms, the power of religion, the injustices of slavery, and the expansion of trade between Africa and other continents. Features audio segments.
Abzu: Ancient Near East Internet Resources ★★★★☆
Provides on-line exhibits, links, and access to electronic journals
Diotima: Women & Gender in the Ancient World ★★★★☆
Offers course materials, essays, a bibliography, images and good links to related sites. Also has a search feature and a section of biblical studies.
Mr. Donn’s Ancient History Page ★★★★☆
A rich resource on teaching ancient history from a sixth-grade teacher. Has lessons, maps, links, tests, and games.
Mr Dowling’s Electronic Passport ★★★★☆
Mr. Dowling’s Electronic Passport helps kids browse the world in his virtual classroom. He introduces you to many civilizations with clear explanations, engaging graphics for kids, and “cool links.” His study guides, homework assignments, and exams are free and available for you to print or to edit.
Antiquity Online ★★★☆☆
A 30-chapter world history that compares ancient religions, empires, cultures, and the like. Has links, photos, and good maps.
Historical Collections – Antiqua Medicina: From Homer to Vesalius ★★★★☆
An interesting presentation on ancient medicine. Text-based with hyperlinks.
Secrets of Lost Empires (PBS) ★★★☆☆
Revolves around the question of how man built inspiring structures, such as at Stonehenge, ancient Rome, and Inca Mexico. Few pictures, but the Q&A discussions with experts are interesting.
Cleopatra: A Multimedia Guide to the Ancient World ★★★☆☆
Cleopatra is an interactive guide to the Ancient Art collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. “Stories” accompany the objects and there are lesson plans for grades 4-12. There are a few broken links, and Flash may be needed for some of the interactives.
Money – Past, Present & Future: Information on Monetary History, Contemporary Developments, and Electronic Money ★★★☆☆
Based on Glyn Davies’ book, “A History of Money from Ancient Times to the Present Day”, this web site is a good resource on an array of monetary topics: its history, forms of money, politics of money, financial scandals, money and banking in fiction, alternative forms of exchange and economics of the internet. Some topics are covered entirely by Davies, while others use collections of external links. The monetary history section includes “A Comparative Chronology of Money”, a comprehensive timeline from 9,000 BC to the present.
Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities, and more
ArchaeOlogy:
Sponsored by the American Museum of Nartual History, this website introduces the “ology” professions – like biology, paleontology, and anthropology – to a young audience. Features short games, craft projects, and interviews with experts in the field.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Don Donn of the Corkran (Maryland) Middle School provides a complete unit with daily lesson plans and unit test for sixth graders. There are also links to multiple K12 lesson plans and activities.
BBC History Games: Dig Deeper Quiz
Test your knowledge of ancient history and archaeology and complete a section of jigsaws.
BBC History: Ages of Treasure Timelines
From the Palaeolithic to the Norman Conquest, explore British archaeological sites and treasures from the past, then test yourself on the eras and events in the Ages of Treasure game.
Treasures of the Sunken City
This online PBS game involves students in identifying the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.