The white lie we've been told about Roman statues
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When you think of the ancient world, you probably picture towering buildings of white marble, adorned with statues also made of white marble. You’re not alone — most people picture the same thing. But we’re all wrong. VOX shows how ancient buildings and sculptures were actually really colorful.
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Greek and Roman statues were often painted, but assumptions about race and aesthetics have suppressed this truth. Now scholars are making a color correction. Ancient art would have been a riot of color and glitzy decoration. Archaeologists have been able to use ultra-violet light to read color on statues which retain no obviously visible signs of their decoration.
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About TED-Ed Best of Web
TED-Ed Best of Web are exceptional, user-created lessons that are carefully selected by volunteer teachers and TED-Ed staff.
Meet The Creators
- Video created by Vox
- Lesson Plan created by Lauren McAlpine
