Eleven pieces of gold jewellery were found in tomb Z at Derveni in 1962, and these differ from those which were found in the other six tombs rescued at the same site. The tomb is dated to 300 – 280 BC, and the finds are now preserved in... more
Eleven pieces of gold jewellery were found in tomb Z at Derveni in 1962, and these differ from those which were found in the other six tombs rescued at the same site. The tomb is dated to 300 – 280 BC, and the finds are now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Though this group of jewellery was published 20 years ago, now it is presented from a new approach. Due to the thorough examination of the technical details, the comparative technical analysis and the documentation of use-wear traces, it is possible to prove that all these pieces were made before the date of the burial, and it is highly probable that some pieces have local and some of them have not Macedonian origin. This technical-based complex method can also contribute to a more precise definition of the owners’ social and financial status. Moreover, gold jewellery of tomb Z can provide a good starting point for uncovering the relationship of the Macedonian goldsmith’s craft with other regions, like with the Black Sea region and Thessaly.
For this study, series-produced Hellenistic gold bull's head hoop earrings in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest were examined in the hope of confirming the results of earlier studies in ancient Greek jewellery... more
For this study, series-produced Hellenistic gold bull's head hoop earrings in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest were examined in the hope of confirming the results of earlier studies in ancient Greek jewellery attribution. The approach was different from the traditional art-historical methods employed in this field. Detailed examination of the techniques employed in making the earrings was carried out to clarify the role of technical details in establishing relationships among individual pieces. The structure of the earrings, their structural elements and their details were examined through comparative technical analysis, using a microscope with a digital camera. Paired pieces were studied separately. It turned out that four pieces (two pairs) were made by the same goldsmith, and that 3 pieces (one pair and one separate piece) were probably from the same place of production. Using this method, characteristics of the type can be distinguished from details which might be characteristic features of a goldsmith or a place of production. Some problems which concern the interpretation of the technical details observed are indicated. I suggest to separate primary and secondary marks of attribution and use neutral terms for describing the phenomena observed. After comparative technical analysis of the Budapest earrings, a new hypothesis can be formulated: details of a purely technical kind might serve independently as marks of attribution.
The possibility that ancient Greek jewellery, like vases, might be attributable to individual master-hands, was raised about twenty years ago by Dyfri Williams, who used the traditional style-based method of art historians to approach the... more
The possibility that ancient Greek jewellery, like vases, might be attributable to individual master-hands, was raised about twenty years ago by Dyfri Williams, who used the traditional style-based method of art historians to approach the problem. This article relates the results of a similar examination of Hellenistic bull's head hoop earrings in the Antiquities Collection of the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. The method used, which involved exact observation of technical details, diverged quite sharply from traditional stylistic attribution. Comparative technical analysis of the Budapest earrings permits the conclusion that such details of a purely technical kind can in fact be decisive marks of attribution. Close technical examination of jewellery excavated in the region of ancient Macedonia, and now in the Museum of Thessaloniki, corroborates these results. Technical comparison has shown that the gold myrtle wreath from Tomb B at Derveni, and a single gold myrtle branch said to be a chance find and inventoried separately, are products of the same hand and originally belonged together. Platinum group element inclusions observed in few pieces of jewellery excavated in Derveni as well as in one earring from the Budapest Antiquities Collection can point to a connection between the pieces. Further archaeological and archaeometric research will be able to confirm or deny the results of observations made on the mentioned pieces until now. Future dialogue on these points between archaeology and archaeometry will help open new paths in the study of goldsmiths and workshops.
