I Reblog The Old Stuff

Gilded silver reliquary casket, England, early 14th century

The Ancient Roman House of the Birds, named for its mosaic with 33 different bird species.

Italica, Spain

Shell, limestone, and lapis lazuli game board, city of Ur, Sumer, circa 2450 BC

Silver buckle, Sweden, 1100-1500 AD

It's also how we know that most dinosaurs had round pupils. It's pretty common for people to depict dinosaurs with slit pupils, probably because of Jurassic Park, mostly because it looks really cool, but nope, they were round. There are very few, if any, birds with slit pupils, which is further evidence for round pupils. And most extant animals with slit pupils are on the small side. Many people think of cats having slit pupils, and they do, but it's the little ones. Lions and tigers have round pupils, because slit pupils are most useful closest to the ground and they actually sacrifice some of their visually acuity for the sake of being better at judging distances in low-light conditions, and most animals with them are ambush predators that jump out at their prey. You ever seen a video where someone throws or bounces a ball towards a cat and it bops them on the head and they seem surprised? That's why; they struggle to track where the ball is going, especially horizontally. So for anything over a certain size, slit pupils are a detriment, especially if they chase down prey.

Apollo with a raven and Artemis with a deer

Silver buckle, Sweden, 1100-1500 AD

Roman mosaic from the House of the Faun in Pompeii, Italy. In the upper register, a cat clutches a quail. In the lower register, two ducks one of which is holding a lotus flower feed next to an assortment of seafood. ca. 2nd century BCE.

Onyx cameo of Ariadne, in a modern gold ring. Greek, Hellenistic Period, 3rd-2nd centuries B.C. In the Royal Collection. 

Description from the Royal Collection Trust:

Dress

c. 1878-1880

maker unknown

Jacquard-woven silk, ruched silk trimmed with machine-lace

Scythian Warrior covered in Solar Symbols

Found in Orvieto - Italy

Repoussé plaque with a winged goddess holding lions Greek, East Greek Orientalizing Period 660–620 B.C.

Evening Dress

c. 1902

American

Egyptian statuette depicting Isis-Aphrodite

Hellenistic Period