The study of ancient works-of-art and archaeological remians requires the use of analytical methods which minimise the impact on the integrity of the object. Spatially resolved analytical methods have significantly enhanced our capacity to study ancient material since they cause minimal and at times not damage to the studied object. They have also amplified the range of analytical information we can extract from ancient and valuable objects. Here we provide an overview of the recent achievements in the knowledge of the past obtained thanks to the use of a variety of spatially resolved analytical methods.