Archeologists believed that their sculpture is a result of natural erosion and not of human artistry.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

Symbolic elements were widely used such as forms, hieroglyphics, relative size, location, materials, color, actions and gestures.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

Their tombs required the most extensive used of sculpture.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

Early sculptures were tensed and stiff, their bodies were hidden within enfolding robes but eventually evolved and showed all points of human anatomy and proportion.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

One of the most popular styles was the Hellenistic style, a preference in sculpture for more elaborated patterns, mannered arrangement of figures and groups, and an emphasis on the representation of movement for dramatic effects.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

Most sculptures in this period are made of monumental terra-cotta with continuous narrative reliefs around.

• Pre-Historic

• Egyptian Era

• Greek

• Roman

The dominant sculpture themes are religious, everyday life scenes, and motifs from nature. Animals were used as symbols while some had acrostic signs that contained a great theological significance.

• Pre-Historic

• Byzantine

• Romanesque

• Gothic

Some of the famous sculptural pieces are reliquaries, altar frontals, crucifixes, and devotional images.

• Pre-Historic

• Byzantine

• Romanesque

• Gothic

Small individual works of art were generally made of costly materials for royal and aristocratic patrons.

• Pre-Historic

• Byzantine

• Romanesque

• Gothic

Figures were given their own particular attitudes instead of being set into particular patterns and are more lively and realistic.

• Pre-Historic

• Byzantine

• Romanesque

• Gothic