Jewels of the Ancient World

A collection of jewelry from the cultures of the ancient and early medieval world.

[aleyma]

Pendant, made in Spain or Portugal in the late 17th century (source).

[gemma-antiqua]

hey congrats on graduating!

Thank you! :) It was really difficult towards the end, but I got through it. I still can’t really believe I’m totally finished. I’ll try to be more active on this blog, but I’m going to be pretty busy this summer looking for jobs, so it may still be a little quiet around here and at @marmarinos. 

[gemma-antiqua]

Byzantine gold earrings, dated to the 4th-7th centuries CE. Source: Timeline Auctions.

[historyarchaeologyartefacts]

Votive crown (gold, pearls, sapphire), Spain (Visigoths) before 672 AD[1122x2693]

[hellenicdreams]

Queen Paubi’s headdress (½)

c.2500 BCE

Ur, Iraq

“This ornate headdress and pair of earrings were found with the body of Queen Puabi in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. The headdress is made up of 20 gold leaves, two strings of lapis and carnelian, and a large gold comb. In addition, she wore chokers, necklaces, and large lunate-shaped earrings. Her upper body was covered by strands of beads made of precious metals and semiprecious stones that stretched from her shoulders to her belt. Ten rings decorated her fingers. A diadem or fillet made up of thousands of small lapis lazuli beads with gold pendants depicting plants and animals was apparently on a table near her head. Two attendants were in the chamber with Puabi, one crouched near her head, the other at her feet. Various metal, stone, and pottery vessels lay around the walls of the chamber.”

https://www.penn.museum/collections/highlights/neareast/puabi.php

[historyarchaeologyartefacts]

Golden serpentine spiral ring. Roman or Ptolemaic Egypt, 1st century BC. [1008x567]

[via-appia]

Gold and agate necklace, late imperial Rome or early Byzantine, c. 3rd century AD

[lionofchaeronea]

Ancient Egyptian ring (gold and green jasper) with an image of the god Ptah.  Artist unknown; ca. 664-322 BCE (Late Period).  Now in the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.  Photo credit: Walters Art Museum.

[gemma-antiqua]

Ancient Greek gold and glass necklace, dated to around the 4th century BCE. Source: Sotheby’s.

[gemma-antiqua]

I didn't know I needed a blog like this in my life until I found yours. Thank you for making this exist !

Thank you so much! I’m happy you like my blog! :)

[via-appia]

Roman jewelry: a gold necklace (top) and gold bracelets, c. 1st - 4th century

[historyarchaeologyartefacts]

Holy Crown of Hungary, presumed to have been made in Constantinople in the 1070s [1556 × 1907]

[via-appia]

The ‘Ring of Minos’ from Knossos - depicts a goddess descending to earth and into a rowing boat with representations of tree worship. 

Minoan, Bronze Age

[via-appia]

Gold laurel wreath from the Kerameikos Archaeological Museum

Greek, Hellenistic Period

[gemma-antiqua]

Korean gold earrings, dated to 500-600 CE during the Silla Kingdom. Source: Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. 

[gemma-antiqua]

Yup, you're right! Meda was a Thracian princess!

Thank you! :)

[historyarchaeologyartefacts]

The golden diadem of the Scythian princess Meda, found in the tomb of Philip II of Macedon. Aigai, Macedonia, Greece. 4th century BC [960x700]