What is History of Jewelry?
Where did it come from? Who wore it and did it have a special meaning? Did ancient civilizations mold their own beads? What tools did they use? How did ancient cultures like the Egyptians, Aztecs, or the Byzantine Empire handcraft their jewelry pieces? Whatever happened to these pieces?
In 2013, a group of
archaeologists from Tel- Aviv University uncovered several ancient jewelry
pieces from a prehistoric site near Apollonia-Arsuf
in the Middle East. Pieces included coins, gold jewelry, and small
bronze rings.
The items were initially
'thrown out' by the prehistoric natives who tossed them in large dump pits. The
reason for this is unknown.
Archaeologists dated these
pieces to the 5th and 7th centuries C.E. Is
there any special meaning to this jewelry?
Interestingly
enough, one of the bronze rings that was
discovered has an inscription on it that translates to: "Adonai is his name." The article suggests
that this particular bronze ring is an unusual finding and quite rare indeed!
Queen Nefertiti was the wife of Egyptian Pharaoh, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). She reigned for 12 years with her husband during the 18th dynasty, 14th century B.C. Nefertiti and her husband transferred the religion of Egyptian society from polytheism to monotheism. They crafted a cult that worshiped one god: Aten, the Egyptian Sun God. Researchers believe that this disruption in religious beliefs caused hostility among people in ancient Egyptian society. Nefertiti's death is unknown and not specified in historical records because her mummy (body) was not found in any tombs. However, she is regarded as one of the most powerful female rulers of Egypt.
