Grammy Writes

Wonders of the Ancient World

With this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge “Ancient” in mind, here is a timeline of the oldest places I’ve seen, with photos, of course.

PREHISTORIC:

  • Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England – 2,500 BC
  • Avebury Stones, Avebury, England – 2850 BC

ANCIENT (Before AD 500):

  • Roman Baths, Bath, England – 60-70
  • Colosseum, Rome, Italy – 70-80
  • Pompeii, Italy – 79
  • Cedworth Roman Villa, UK – 120-400’s (built in phases)
  • Hadrian’s Wall, United Kingdom – began in 122
  • Pantheon, Rome, Italy – 125-126
  • Cardiff Castle, Cardiff, Wales – 290 (first fort probably around AD 55)
  • St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy – 326-360
  • San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy – 393 (completed in1470)

EARLY MEDIEVAL (AD 500 – 1000):

  • Clonmacnoise Monastic Site, Ireland – 544-545
  • The Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Wilfrid (aka Ripon Cathedral), UK – 660’s
  • Mont St. Michel, France – 708 (instructed to build)
  • The Book of Kells, Dublin, Ireland – 800’s (No photos of book allowed)
  • St. Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy – founded-828, rebuilt-1063
  • Prague Castle, Prague, Czech Republic – 9th Century origin (likely 870’s)

HIGH MEDIEVAL (AD 1000-1300):

  • Westminster Abbey (including the oldest door in England), London – 1050’s
  • The Tower of London, England – 1066
  • Chepstow Castle, Monmouthshire, Wales – 1067
  • Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, England – 1070 (founded 597)

It was fun to go through my photos and put them in an estimated date order. Some came as a surprise to me, not realizing just how ancient they really were!

(Dates can be hard to determine. Most are approximate start dates, not completion dates, and many of these structures have been re-built numerous times and over several centuries)

16 comments

  1. What a fantastic collection of wonderful photos. I’ve visited many of the sights you captured, yet the most amazing were Stonehenge, due to its mystery, ancient engineering, and historical significance, and the Roman Baths in Bath. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  2. This is quite a collection and I’m glad you had fun organising them in chronological order! They are all awesome but my favourite is Mont St. Michel with the seagull, fantastic shot 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. I never get tired of looking at photos of the Pantheon. What a remarkable structure. And the Book of Kells brings a smile, because it was where we decided to visit, trying to stay awake after arriving early morning from the U.S. at the start of our Ireland tour. Indoors, warm, quiet. Pretty much fell asleep on our feet trying to see it. Next time we’ll know better and stay outdoors!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I agree the Pantheon is a perfect display of Roman engineering, especially how the Oculus lets the sunshine in, creating a breathtaking play of light and space. And Ha, I can only imagine how tired you must have been at the Book of Kells!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment