Antiquities

the quality of being ancient; ancientness:
a bowl of great antiquity.
ancient times; former ages:
the splendor of antiquity.
the period of history before the middle ages.
the peoples, nations, tribes, or cultures of ancient times.
usually, antiquities. something belonging to or remaining from ancient times, as monuments, relics, or customs.
contemporary examples

first, looters ripped the heads off mummies at the country’s antiquities museum.
saving king tut philip shenon january 29, 2011

given his alter ego, it may not come as a surprise that goyeneche is into antiquities, especially of the pre-colombian variety.
trading dime bags for salvador dali jason mcgahan october 18, 2014

alongside turkish antiquities dealers there are those looking to sell family heirlooms.
dismembering history: the shady online trade in ancient texts candida moss november 22, 2014

medici has since been convicted of smuggling and illegal trafficking of antiquities.
the tomb robbers barbie latza nadeau may 29, 2009

but when it comes to the value of antiquities for human history, the sum of the parts is not greater than the whole.
dismembering history: the shady online trade in ancient texts candida moss november 22, 2014

historical examples

here he succeeded in getting a situation with a dealer in bric-a-brac, rare books and antiquities.
bidwell’s travels, from wall street to london prison austin biron bidwell

in this new country, it is needless to say, we have no antiquities of that sort.
brighter britain! (volume 1 of 2) william delisle hay

blanche perry died, chief gentlewoman to queen elizabeth, and a great lover of antiquities, besides a very tasteful writer.
the every day book of history and chronology joel munsell

this place is remarkable for the acc-mulation of aztec and spanish antiquities.
aztec land maturin m. ballou

rouen is interesting for its antiquities, including several venerable and richly adorned churches which i had no time to visit.
glances at europe horace greeley

plural noun
remains or relics, such as statues, buildings, or coins, that date from ancient times
noun (pl) -ties
the quality of being ancient or very old: a vase of great antiquity
the far distant past, esp the time preceding the middle ages in europe
the people of ancient times collectively; the ancients
n.

late 14c., “olden times,” from old french antiquitet (11c.; modern french antiquité) “olden times; great age; old age,” from latin antiquitatem (nominative antiquitas) “ancient times, antiquity, venerableness,” noun of quality from antiquus (see antique (adj.)). specific reference to ancient greece and rome is from mid-15c.; meaning “quality of being old” is from about the same time. antiquities “relics of ancient days” is from 1510s.