Describing historical arts & technologies

Weighing an estimated 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), the Sutton Hoo helmet was made of iron and covered with decorated sheets of tinned bronze.

Fluted strips of moulding divided the exterior into panels, each of which was stamped with one of five designs. Two depict figural scenes, another two zoophormic interlaced patterns; a fifth pattern, known only from seven small fragments and incapable of restoration, is known to occur only once on an otherwise symmetrical helmet and may have been used to replace a damaged panel.

The Qanat is an ancient Middle Eastern irrigation technique in which a long tunnel is dug into arid land that allows water from underground aquifers to be accessed for use by the local population, supporting large settlements in spite of hostile environmental conditions.

Qanats begin as deep wells dug into elevated land and culminate in streams flowing through outlets into a human settlement. 

Outflows sustain settlements by providing water for crops and drinking water for the population. Powered only by gravity, these simple wonders of ancient architecture allowed settlements in arid climates to have dependable access to water, sometimes for centuries at a time.

Today, tens of thousands of qanats still function in around 35 countries across the globe.

To create a woodblock print in the traditional Japanese style, an artist would first draw an image onto 'washi', a thin yet durable type of paper. The washi would then be glued to a block of wood, and—using the drawing's outlines as a guide—the artist would carve the image into its surface.

The artist would then apply ink to the relief. A piece of paper would be placed on top of it, and a flat tool called a 'baren' would help transfer the ink to the paper.

To incorporate multiple colors into the same work, artists would simply repeat the entire process, creating separate woodblocks and painting each with a different pigment.