Highlights of its vast collection are the ancient Egyptian mummies, its Roman and Greek antiquities, the Rosetta Stone and the Anglo-Saxon treasures of Sutton Hoo.

CNN: London: What to see

Keeping track of the vast, meandering mix of ancient artifacts and techno-mystic talk makes me yearn for the days when the point was to fight the Covenant because the Covenant was bad.

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Finally, housed in ancient, arched basement tunnels, is the Museo Archeologico containing a vast collection of pieces found near Siena, including elaborate Etruscan alabaster funerary urns and gold Roman coins.

BBC: Two days in Siena, Italy

Relatively new countries, however vast, are unlikely to be credited with as many "firsts" as ancient civilizations like China or little ol' Europe, so Mr. Robertson has provided a separate listing for the first American example under most entries.

WSJ: Book Review: Robertson's Book of Firsts