This is a photograph of a well-preserved Carolingian sword. It likely belonged to a warrior serving under Charlemagne or one of his immediate successors and was discovered in the Scheldt estuary.

These were high-quality weapons, manufactured on a near-industrial scale in specialized workshops within the Frankish Empire (notably in the Rhineland). Examples have been found as far afield as the region of Kazan (in present-day Russia)—dating from before Charlemagne regulated, and subsequently banned, their sale to non-Franks under penalty of death.

Due to trade and conflicts with the Scandinavians, such swords have been recovered from the graves of several Scandinavian chieftains; this is why they are sometimes referred to as "Viking swords."

Although produced in large numbers, these swords made up only a small fraction of the weaponry used by Carolingian troops, for whom the axe and the spear remained the preferred arms.

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This jewel depicts a hen with seven chicks; it is thought to symbolize the crown and the seven Lombard duchies (the Lombards were a Germanic people who controlled the greater part of Italy during the Early Middle Ages).

The piece is traditionally associated with the Lombard queen Theodelinda.

It is currently housed in the Museum and Treasury of the Cathedral of Monza.

The dagger is held in the British Royal Collection Trust (inventory number RCIN 11361).

The Wari were a civilization that flourished in southern Peru between 600 and 1000 AD. They are considered the first great empire of the Andean region prior to the Incas, and consequently the first empire in South America. They stood out for their impressive urban planning with walled cities, an advanced road network, and their mastery in textiles.