Shrouded in mystery, Stonehenge is an astonishing monument and a massive feat of early human civilization. This bluestone slab shares the same heritage as the ones arranged at the site over 4,000 years ago.

This specimen is a custom-cut mini slab of dolerite bluestone recovered downstream from the quarry at Craig Rhos-y-Felin located on the northern flank of the Preseli Mountains near Pembrokeshire, Wales. Recent petrographic studies have closely linked chippings from these dolerite bluestones to the bluestones installed at Stonehenge roughly 4,500 years ago.

Over 3,000 years ago, the Ancient Mediterranean was filled with vibrant cultures and kingdoms. These groups engineered new technologies, explored the world, and facilitated vast networks of trade. Then, in only half a century, political and economic turmoil spread through the region, bringing about the Bronze Age collapse.

This specimen is a piece of a late 12th-century BCE dagger from the style of the Mycenaean culture. It is a remnant of both the era and its end, hand-rolled and prepared here at Mini Museum.

In the Roman Empire, a visit to the public baths was a daily routine. These massive bathing complexes known as thermae operated with heated floors and walls to create warm waters for all visitors. The baths were both a space for relaxation as well as a meeting ground for the community, where friends and neighbors could discuss the news of the day.

This specimen is a fragment of a Roman hypocaust flue, a hollow brick that lined the walls of the thermae. Hot air from furnaces below would rise through these hollow tubes, bringing heat to the entire bathhouse. Each piece comes with a display case along with an informational card that serves as certificate of authenticity.

The City of Canals, the City of Bridges, the City of Masks... The city of Venice has been known by many names and ruled by many hands.

A wonder of ancient Europe and a hub of commerce and culture, the canals of Venice are an enchanting sight to this day. Formed during one of the most tumultuous times in the region, the Republic of Venice became a station of major influence until it was overtaken during the Napoleonic Wars.

This specimen comes from an early 14th-century paving brick uncovered in the Cannaregio sestiere during a recent renovation. It first appeared in the Third Edition of the Mini Museum, and we're pleased to offer the remaining material as a single item.

Valued for flexibility in combat, chain mail was the primary defensive armor in Europe for more than one thousand years, through the entirety of the Medieval Period. To create a 'chain mail' or 'maille' garment, thousands of rings would be punched out whole or riveted from strands of wire. A blacksmith would weave the rings into sheets using a pattern of interlocking rings. Patterns varied by region, dictated by armaments and fighting styles. Given the labor-intensive process of weaving, chain mail garments were costly to purchase but relatively simple to repair.

This authentic, four-in-one medieval chain mail set includes five connected rings, as assembled hundreds of years ago by medieval craft workers. This relatively simple pattern was the standard in Europe for hundreds of years. The rings come from the fragments of several ruined garments, all dating to the 15th Century CE. This period is considered the sunset of chain mail in Europe, as advanced plate armor completely supplanted mail.

The original London Bridge was not built in London, but rather London was built around the bridge. When the Romans were occupying Britain, Londinium was settled around a key crossing point of the Thames. Many smaller bridges were built and destroyed over time, but in 1209 a more permanent structure was built which we now call the Old London Bridge. This too was eventually supplanted by the New London Bridge in the 19th century, and in turn by the current version in the 1970s.

In a strange twist of fate, the New London Bridge was not simply dismantled but was bought by U.S. industrialist Robert McCulloch to be disassembled and rebuilt... in Arizona. Robert McCulloch was a chainsaw magnate and land developer who founded Lake Havasu City in 1958 as a company town for his business. His purchase of the New London Bridge was a stunt to bring attention to the newly built city.

This specimen is from the New London Bridge, completed in 1831 and designed by celebrated civil engineer John Rennie. This bridge measured 928 feet across and was supported by five stone arches. It still stands in its new home of Lake Havasu City.