greenhood: …Zealand, and the closely related king greenhood (P. baptistii) is from neighbouring Australia.

greenhood: The jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva) is named for its shape. The hooded orchid (P. banksii) is native to New Zealand, and the closely related king greenhood (P. baptistii) is from neighbouring Australia.

Pterostyrax, genus of about four species of deciduous trees or shrubs, of the storax family (Styracaceae), native to East Asia. A few species, notably P. hispidus and P. corymbosus, both of which are called the epaulette tree, are cultivated in other regions as ornamentals. The genus is

Pterostyrax: hispidus and P. corymbosus, both of which are called the epaulette tree, are cultivated in other regions as ornamentals. The genus is characterized by alternate stalked leaves and fragrant white flowers borne in large clusters. The five petals are separate. The fleshy fruit has one or two…

Pterostyrax: A few species, notably P. hispidus and P. corymbosus, both of which are called the epaulette tree, are cultivated in other regions as ornamentals. The genus is characterized by alternate stalked leaves and fragrant white flowers borne in large clusters. The five petals are separate. The fleshy fruit has…

folic acid, water-soluble vitamin of the B complex that is essential in animals and plants for the synthesis of nucleic acids. Folic acid was isolated from liver cells in 1943. The vitamin has a wide variety of sources in the human diet, including leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, cereals,

pterygium, abnormal wing-shaped fold of the conjunctiva (the mucous membrane lining the eyelids and covering most of the front of the eyeball) that invades the surface of the cornea. Often preceded or accompanied by a pinguecula (yellowish growth in the conjunctiva), pterygia arise from the inner

human nervous system: Facial nerve (CN VII or 7): …nerve, they pass to the pterygopalatine ganglion via the greater petrosal nerve (a branch of the facial nerve) and to the submandibular ganglion by way of the chorda tympani nerve (another branch of the facial nerve, which joins the lingual branch of the mandibular nerve). Postganglionic fibers from the pterygopalatine…

insect: Insect phylogeny: …history of winged insects (Pterygota) throughout the geological periods from the Devonian to the Recent. The apterygotes, which are regarded as survivors of primitive insect stock, are omitted from the family tree. Dark lines indicate the periods during which the various orders have been found as fossils. Some lines…

eurypterid: …eurypterids were small animals, although Jaekelopterus rhenaniae (also called Pterygotus rhenanius or P. buffaloenis), a species from the Silurian Period (about 444 to 416 million years ago) in North America, was the largest arthropod ever known; it reached a length of about 2.5 metres (8 feet). Similar in body plan…

eurypterid: …eurypterids were small animals, although Jaekelopterus rhenaniae (also called Pterygotus rhenanius or P. buffaloenis), a species from the Silurian Period (about 444 to 416 million years ago) in North America, was the largest arthropod ever known; it reached a length of about 2.5 metres (8 feet). Similar in body plan…

feather: …arranged in symmetrical tracts (pterylae) with areas of bare skin (apteria) between. The latter may contain the small soft feathers called down.

polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a strong, tough, waxy, nonflammable synthetic resin produced by the polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene. Known by such trademarks as Teflon, Fluon, Hostaflon, and Polyflon, PTFE is distinguished by its slippery surface, high melting point, and resistance to attack

parathyroid hormone (PTH), substance produced and secreted by the parathyroid glands that regulates serum calcium concentration. Under the microscope the PTH-producing cells, called chief cells, isolated from the parathyroid glands, occur in sheets interspersed with areas of fatty tissue.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), political party of Pakistan founded in 1996 by Imran Khan, a popular cricketer and philanthropist, with the goals of fighting corruption and promoting social welfare. After becoming the second largest party in the 2013 legislative elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Press Trust of India (PTI), news agency cooperatively owned by Indian newspapers, which joined together to take over the management of the Associated Press of India and the Indian outlets of the Reuters news agency of Great Britain. It began operating in February 1949 and is headquartered in

perciform: Annotated classification: Family Ptilichthyidae (quillfish) Extremely elongated, body ending in a free fleshy point; pelvic fins absent; dorsal and anal fins like vanes of a feather. 1 species (Ptilichthys goodei), rare; North Pacific. Family Zaproridae (prowfish) A single species (Zaprora silenus) like a shorter, deeper-bodied prickleback; pelvic fins

feather-winged beetle, (family Ptiliidae), any of more than 400 species of beetles (insect order Coleoptera) characterized by long fringes of hair on the long, narrow hindwings. The antennae also have whorls of long hairs. Most feather-winged beetles are oval and between 0.25 and 1 mm (0.01 to 0.04

housefly: …developed, expand a pouch (ptilinum) on the head and break off the end of the puparium to emerge.

feather moss, (Ptilium, formerly Hypnum, crista-castrensis), the only species of the genus Ptilium, it is a widely distributed plant of the subclass Bryidae that forms dense light green mats on rocks, rotten wood, or peaty soil, especially in mountain forests of the Northern Hemisphere. The erect

tree shrew: …hair, but that of the pen-tailed tree shrew (Ptilocercus lowii) is hairless and ends in a featherlike tuft.

assassin bug: Predatory behaviour: …in the Southeast Asian species Ptilocerus ochraceus. It has since been observed among other Holoptilinae species, including Ptilocnemus femoralis and Ptilocnemus lemur.

coleopteran: Annotated classification: Family Ptilodactylidae About 200 tropical species; aquatic or in rotten wood. Superfamily Chrysomeloidea Mostly wood or plant feeders; body shape very variable; antennae not clubbed. Multiple families, the 2 largest described below. Family Cerambycidae (

moss animal: Evolution and paleontology: …or lacy colonies in the ptilodictyoids, or branching in rhabdomesoids, and were the dominant bryozoans from the start of the Devonian until the Permian (416 million to 299 million years ago). For reasons not yet clear, the cryptostomes dwindled and became extinct soon after the end of the Paleozoic Era…

Ptilodus, extinct genus of mammals found as fossils in deposits dated to the Paleocene Epoch (65.5–55.8 million years ago) of North America. Ptilodus was a multituberculate, a group of rodentlike mammals that were once the dominant herbivores and granivores in terrestrial ecosystems. The teeth of

silky flycatcher, (family Ptilogonatidae), any of four arboreal bird species found in dry, brushy regions from Nevada south to Panama that have silky feathers, prominent crests, and broad bills. They are about 19 cm (7.5 inches) long. Their basic diet consists of mistletoe berries, supplemented

silky flycatcher: Ptilogonys species are gray with yellow sides, and the black-and-yellow silky flycatcher (Phainoptila melanoxantha) is similar, but the male has purplish black upper parts and the female a dark green back.

bowerbird, any of approximately 20 bird species that constitute the family Ptilonorhynchidae of the order Passeriformes. Bowerbirds are birds of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands that build more or less elaborate structures on the ground. Some are called catbirds, gardeners, and

bowerbird: Avenues are made by the satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus); the regent bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus) and its relatives; and the spotted bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata) and its relatives. Satin and regent bowerbirds make a paint of vegetable pulp, charcoal, and saliva and apply it to the interior walls; a daub of green…

riflebird, any of certain bird-of-paradise (q.v.)

bird-of-paradise: victoriae) and the paradise riflebird (P. paradiseus)—prolonged hisses, like the passage of bullets through the air.

bird-of-paradise: …attributed to the calls of Queen Victoria’s riflebird (P. victoriae) and the paradise riflebird (P. paradiseus)—prolonged hisses, like the passage of bullets through the air.

spider beetle, any member of about 500 species of insects sometimes considered a part of the family Anobiidae (order Coleoptera) and sometimes placed in their own family, Ptinidae. These spider-shaped beetles have a globular body, long thin legs, and no wings. They range in colour from reddish

spider beetle: The white-marked spider beetle (Ptinus fur) and the shiny American spider beetle (Mezium americanum) are household pests in North America.

Marattiaceae: Marattia, Ptisana, and Eupodium (the latter two having been formerly placed in Marattia) have the sporangia united in clusters called synangia, which are paired along each side of certain leaf veins and open toward the leaflet axis in this genus. Danaea has single synangia, sometimes extending…

Jerry Falwell: …unsuccessfully sought to revive the PTL (Praise the Lord) Club, the conservative Christian organization and television network of the disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker. Falwell advocated a conservative Christian faith and condemned what he perceived as the sinfulness and godlessness of contemporary society. A segregationist in his early years, he later…

cycadophyte: Stem: …palms from activity of a primary thickening meristem (PTM) lateral to the apical meristem, which produces much greater increments of cortical parenchyma than would result if only an apical meristem were present. This is an important difference between cycadophytes and coniferophytes, for in the latter there is no PTM and…

Theodore Prodromus was a Byzantine writer, well known for his prose and poetry, some of which is in the vernacular. He wrote many occasional pieces for a widespread circle of patrons at the imperial court. Some of the work attributed to him is unpublished and some of it may be wrongly attributed to

patristic literature: The gnostic writers: …Flora, by the Valentinian gnostic Ptolemaeus (late 2nd century), supplying rules for interpreting the Mosaic Law (the Torah) in a Christian sense, and another disciple of Valentinus, Theodotus (2nd century), published an account of his master’s system that was excerpted by Clement of Alexandria.

Ptolemy was an Egyptian astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Greek descent who flourished in Alexandria during the 2nd century ce. In several fields his writings represent the culminating achievement of Greco-Roman science, particularly his geocentric (Earth-centred) model of the universe

ancient Egypt: The Ptolemaic dynasty: Until the day when he openly assumed an independent kingship as Ptolemy I Soter, on November 7, 305 bce, Ptolemy used only the title satrap of Egypt, but the great hieroglyphic Satrap stela, which he had inscribed in 311 bce, indicates a degree…

Ptolemaic system, mathematical model of the universe formulated by the Alexandrian astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy about 150 CE and recorded by him in his Almagest and Planetary Hypotheses. The Ptolemaic system is a geocentric cosmology; that is, it starts by assuming that Earth is stationary

tuning and temperament: Classic tuning systems: Ptolemaic tuning, often misleadingly named just intonation, sacrifices one of the fifths (D–A), which is altered to 40:27 from the simpler ratio 3:2, making it flat (too narrow) by a comma. The advantage of this system is that all the major thirds are true, or…

ancient Egypt: The Ptolemies (305–145 bce): …of a quadrennial festival, the Ptolemaieia, which was intended to enjoy a status equal to that of the Olympic Games. The festival was marked by a procession of amazingly elaborate and ingeniously constructed floats, with scenarios illustrating Greek religious cults.

Ptolemy I Soter: King of Egypt: …only town he founded was Ptolemais in Upper Egypt. He probably placed Macedonian military commanders alongside the Egyptian provincial administrators and intervened unobtrusively in legal and financial affairs. In order to regulate the latter, he introduced coinage, which until that time was unknown in Egypt.

Ptolemais, coastal city of ancient Cyrenaica (now part of Libya). The site was easily defensible and provided the only safe anchorage between Euhesperides-Berenice (modern Benghazi) and Apollonia (modern Sūsah in Libya). In the 3rd century bc the city received the name Ptolemais from Ptolemy III,

Ptolemy was an Egyptian astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Greek descent who flourished in Alexandria during the 2nd century ce. In several fields his writings represent the culminating achievement of Greco-Roman science, particularly his geocentric (Earth-centred) model of the universe

typography: The private-press movement: …semiroman of the 1460s, and Ptolemy, based upon a late 15th-century German model. The Ashendene Press books, like those of Morris, were often illustrated with wood engravings, and many had coloured initials.

Ptolemy Apion was a ruler of Cyrenaica who separated it from Egypt and in his will bequeathed the country to Rome. Son of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, king of Egypt, by a concubine, Ptolemy Apion, according to classical sources, received Cyrenaica as his portion of his father’s will. Contemporary

Seleucid empire: …year, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, the disgruntled son of Ptolemy I.

Ptolemy I Soter was a Macedonian general of Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt (323–285 bc) and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which reigned longer than any other dynasty established on the soil of the Alexandrian empire and only succumbed to the Romans in 30 bc. Ptolemy was the son

Ptolemy II Philadelphus was the king of Egypt (285–246 bce), second king of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who extended his power by skillful diplomacy, developed agriculture and commerce, and made Alexandria a leading centre of the arts and sciences. Reigning at first with his father, Ptolemy I Soter, he

Ptolemy III Euergetes was a Macedonian king of Egypt, son of Ptolemy II; he reunited Egypt and Cyrenaica and successfully waged the Third Syrian War against the Seleucid kingdom. Almost nothing is known of Ptolemy’s youth before 245, when, following a long engagement, he married Berenice II, the

Ptolemy IV Philopator was a Macedonian king of Egypt (reigned 221–205 bce), under whose feeble rule, heavily influenced by favorites, much of Ptolemaic Syria was lost and native uprisings began to disturb the internal stability of Egypt. Classical writers depict Ptolemy as a drunken, debauched

Ptolemy IX Soter II was a Macedonian king of Egypt who, after ruling Cyprus and Egypt in various combinations with his brother, Ptolemy X Alexander I, and his mother, Cleopatra III, widow of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, gained sole rule of the country in 88 and sought to keep Egypt from excessive

Ptolemy was an Egyptian astronomer, mathematician, and geographer of Greek descent who flourished in Alexandria during the 2nd century ce. In several fields his writings represent the culminating achievement of Greco-Roman science, particularly his geocentric (Earth-centred) model of the universe

Ptolemy of Mauretania was a North African client ruler for Rome (23–40 ce) who assisted Roman forces in suppressing a Berber revolt in Numidia and Mauretania but was assassinated after arousing the jealousy of the Roman emperor Caligula. He was the last known living descendant of the famous

Ptolemy Philadelphus was the son of Mark Antony, the Roman triumvir of the East, and Cleopatra VII, queen of Egypt; in 30 bc he was exiled to Rome and later died there in obscurity. During his father’s triumph at Alexandria in 34 young Ptolemy was proclaimed king of Syria and Asia Minor. When

Caesarion was the king of Egypt (reigned 44–30 bce), son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII. Ptolemy was his mother’s co-ruler, killed by Octavian, later the emperor Augustus, after Cleopatra’s death in 30. Ptolemy was the child of Cleopatra and Caesar, although a few classical authors, perhaps for

Ptolemy V Epiphanes was a Macedonian king of Egypt from 205 bc under whose rule Coele Syria and most of Egypt’s other foreign possessions were lost. After Sosibius, Ptolemy IV’s corrupt minister, had murdered Ptolemy V’s mother, the five-year-old king was officially elevated to the throne; Sosibius

Ptolemy VI Philometor was a Macedonian king of Egypt under whom an attempted invasion of Coele Syria resulted in the occupation of Egypt by the Seleucids. After Roman intervention and several ventures of joint rule with his brother, however, Ptolemy was able to reunite his realm. The son of Ptolemy

Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator was the younger son and co-ruler with Ptolemy VI Philometor, king of Egypt, whom he succeeded in 145 bc. Still a minor, he was the ward of his mother, who also served as his co-ruler. He was soon displaced by his uncle, Ptolemy VIII, who executed him the following year.

Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II was a Macedonian king of Egypt who played a divisive role in trying to win the kingship, making himself subservient to Rome and encouraging Roman interference in Egypt. Ptolemy VIII ruled jointly with his brother, Ptolemy VI Philometor, in 170–164 bce and alone during the

Ptolemy X Alexander I was a Macedonian king of Egypt who, under the direction of his mother, Cleopatra III, ruled Egypt alternately with his brother Ptolemy IX Soter II and around 105 became involved in a civil war in the Seleucid kingdom in Syria. Son of Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, Ptolemy

Ptolemy XI Alexander II was the last fully legitimate Ptolemaic king of Egypt, who, after marrying Berenice III, Ptolemy IX Soter II’s widow, and joining her as co-ruler, murdered her and seized sole power. He was killed by the infuriated people of Alexandria. Ptolemy XI was a son of Ptolemy X

Ptolemy XII Auletes was a Macedonian king of Egypt, whose quasi-legitimate royal status compelled him to depend heavily upon Rome for support for his throne. During his reign, Egypt became virtually a client kingdom of the Roman Republic. He was the first Ptolemy to include Theos (God) in his

Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator was a Macedonian king of Egypt and coruler with his famous sister, Cleopatra VII. He was killed while leading the Ptolemaic army against Julius Caesar’s forces in the final stages of the Alexandrian War. A son of Ptolemy XII Auletes, Ptolemy XIII became joint ruler of

Ptolemy XIV Theos Philopator II was a Macedonian king of Egypt from 47 to 44 bc, coruler with his elder sister, the famous Cleopatra VII, by whom he was reportedly killed in 44 to make way for Ptolemy XV Caesar (Caesarion), her son by Julius Caesar. Following the death of his brother Ptolemy XIII

Caesarion was the king of Egypt (reigned 44–30 bce), son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII. Ptolemy was his mother’s co-ruler, killed by Octavian, later the emperor Augustus, after Cleopatra’s death in 30. Ptolemy was the child of Cleopatra and Caesar, although a few classical authors, perhaps for

chronology: Mesopotamian chronology, 747 to 539 bc: …started is a text called Ptolemy’s Canon. This king list covers a period of about 1,000 years, beginning with the kings of Babylon after the accession of Nabonassar in 747 bc. The text itself belongs to the period of the Roman Empire and was written by a Greek astronomer resident…

food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal illness resulting from the consumption of foods containing one or more representatives of three main groups of harmful agents: natural poisons present in certain plants and animals, chemical poisons, and microorganisms (mainly bacteria) and their toxic

ptosis, drooping of the upper eyelid. The condition may be congenital or acquired and can cause significant obscuration of vision. In congenital ptosis the muscle that elevates the lid, called the levator palpebrae superioris, is usually absent or imperfectly developed. If severe and not corrected

rock: Types of remanent magnetization: In PTRM (partial thermoremanent magnetization) a sample is cooled from a temperature below the Curie point to yet a lower temperature.

Pali Text Society, organization founded with the intention of editing and publishing the texts of the Theravāda canon and its commentaries, as well as producing English translations of many of those texts for an audience of scholars and interested readers. The Pali Text Society (PTS) was

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emotional condition that sometimes follows a traumatic event, particularly an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious bodily injury to oneself or others and that creates intense feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. The symptoms of

bleeding and blood clotting: Intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation: …simple laboratory test called the partial thromboplastin time (PTT), or, more accurately, the activated partial thromboplastin time. Plasma is collected and anticoagulated with citrate buffer; the citrate binds and effectively removes functional calcium ions from the plasma. Under these conditions, a fibrin clot cannot be generated. A negatively charged material,…

amylase: …other mammals, an alpha-amylase called ptyalin is produced by the salivary glands, whereas pancreatic amylase is secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine. The optimum pH of alpha-amylase is 6.7–7.0.

tunicate: Annotated classification: Order Stolidobranchia Gill with longitudinal vessels, folded. Class Appendicularia (or Larvacea) Adult small, pelagic, retaining larval notochord and tail; pharynx simple with two gill openings; no distinct atrium; about 70 species. Class Thaliacea

squawfish, any of several edible fishes of the genus Ptychocheilus found in the rivers of western North America. They are the largest members of the carp family (Cyprinidae) in North America. Because of the offensive connotation attributed to the word “squaw,” these animals are also referred to as

squawfish: The largest species, the Colorado River squawfish, or white salmon (P. lucius), may grow to about 1.5 metres (5 feet) with a reported weight of about 36 kilograms (79 pounds); because of changes in its habitat, this species has declined significantly and is considered endangered.

cnidarian: Annotated classification: Order Ptychodactiaria Sea-anemone-like, lacking ciliated tract on edge of mesenteries and basilar muscles. Both poles. Order Scleractinia (Madreporaria) True or stony corals. Mostly colonial; calcareous external skeleton; no basilar muscles or siphonoglyphs. Mostly tropical and subtropical. Order Zoanthinaria (

tachinid fly: …controlled by the Malayan tachinid Ptychomyia remota; and Centeter cinerea was transplanted to the United States to check the destructive Japanese beetle. The caterpillars of the armyworm may be up to 90 percent infested by larvae of the red-tailed tachinids (Winthemia).

auklet: …plainest and grayest species is Cassin’s auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus), a common resident from the Aleutians to Baja California.

arthrodire: The ptyctodonts, relatives of the arthrodires, lived in the sea and possibly fed upon mollusks.

arthrodire: The ptyctodonts, relatives of the arthrodires, lived in the sea and possibly fed upon mollusks.

pu, in the Daodejing—a classic of Chinese philosophy, religion, and literature composed about 300 bce—the major metaphor for a state of accord with the spontaneous (ziran) unfolding of the cosmos. The Daodejing advises rulers to cultivate this state in order to govern effectively. During the

coin: China: …tao and on square Japanese pu coins and various new round coins.

plutonium (Pu), radioactive chemical element of the actinoid series of the periodic table, atomic number 94. It is the most important transuranium element because of its use as fuel in certain types of nuclear reactors and as an ingredient in nuclear weapons. Plutonium is a silvery metal that takes

toy: History of toys: …in Papua New Guinea make pu abu, a whirling toy created from a flat piece of wood with a hole in the end to which the child ties a piece of string or grass so that the toy can be whirled around to produce a humming noise. (Similar toys are…

Pu Songling was a Chinese fiction writer whose Liaozhai zhiyi (1766; “Strange Stories from Liaozhai’s Studio”; Eng. trans. Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio) resuscitated the classical genre of short stories. Pu’s impressive collection of 431 tales of the unusual and supernatural was largely

Pu Songling was a Chinese fiction writer whose Liaozhai zhiyi (1766; “Strange Stories from Liaozhai’s Studio”; Eng. trans. Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio) resuscitated the classical genre of short stories. Pu’s impressive collection of 431 tales of the unusual and supernatural was largely

Pu Songling was a Chinese fiction writer whose Liaozhai zhiyi (1766; “Strange Stories from Liaozhai’s Studio”; Eng. trans. Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio) resuscitated the classical genre of short stories. Pu’s impressive collection of 431 tales of the unusual and supernatural was largely

Zhang Daqian: …with the well-known Beijing painter Pu Xinyu, and together they became known as the “South Zhang and North Pu,” an epithet that is still used to refer to their collaborative works of the 1930s.

jewelry: Chinese: They were called pu yao (“shaking while walking”) and were loosely made so as to sway when the wearer moved. Gilded bronze and silver were the principal materials. There are accounts of elaborate headdresses, some no doubt of the kind representing a complete phoenix such as are to…

Pu’er, city, southern Yunnan sheng (province), China. It is situated in a small basin among mountains some 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) in elevation, 19 miles (30 km) south of Ning’er (formerly Pu’er), the former centre of the Yunnanese tea trade, and about 355 miles (570 km) southwest of Kunming, the

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: First the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent, located southeast of Kilauea’s caldera on the national park’s boundary, produced lava fountains reaching heights of 1,540 feet (470 metres) into the air. Then in 1986 the eruption shifted 2 miles (3 km) to the northeast of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō to the new…

Honaunau: …archaeological remains, principally those of Pu‘uhonua O Honaunau (variously translated as “City, Place, or Temple of Refuge at Honaunau”).

Honaunau: …a national historical park (Pu‘uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park), which includes some 180 acres (75 hectares).

Puu Kukui, volcanic peak, Maui county, western Maui island, Hawaii, U.S. It is the highest peak (5,788 feet [1,764 metres]) of an 18-mile (30-km) stretch of mountains, the Honolua volcanic series, that dominates the western peninsula of Maui. Puu Kukui (Hawaiian: “Candlenut Hill”) was formed by a

jewelry: Sumerian: …are those found in Queen Pu-abi’s tomb at Ur in Sumer (now called Tall al-Muqayyar), dating from the 3rd millennium bce. In the crypt the upper part of the queen’s body was covered with a sort of robe made of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, carnelian, agate, and chalcedony beads, the…