Gold in antiquity: Did you mean...?

This is the upper surface of the earring . The right lower circle is broken and at the center of the trifoliate group lies a single golden sphere. The cuneiform text is read vertically, from the upper surface downwards...

The convex and carved surfaces of the earrings. Each earring is composed of nine lunar-shaped segments forming a flattened half- ball. The cuneiform signs run vertically from above downward, starting from the right...

Gold shield with the head of god Sebiumeker. From the treasure of the Nubian queen Amanishakheto, pyramid N6, Meroe, modern-day northern Sudan. Meroitic period, around 1 CE. (State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich, Germany...

Both earrings are placed in a mirror-image position, with the lower surfaces facing each other. Each earring is composed of nine lunar-shaped segments forming a flattened half- ball. The cuneiform signs run vertically...

4th century BCE gold Olive wreath from Macedonia, both a religious symbol and indicator of social position and power (Archaeological Museum, Thessaloniki, Greece)

Egyptian inlaid gold bracelets belonging to Prince Nimlot, one of the sons of Sheshonq I, the first king of the 22nd Dynasty. About 940 BCE. Said to be from Sa el-Haggar (Sais), Egypt. From The British Museum, (photo taken...

The interior hollow surface of the earring. Note how the carved cuneiform signs appear on this side and how the goldsmith joined the “lunar-shaped” segments of the earring. The cuneiform text is read vertically...

Gold stater from Lydia, reign of Croesus, 560-546 BCE. O: Lion and ox. R: Two incuse squares.

A gold solidus from Antioch depicting Emperor Julian, 361-363 CE. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).

Gold disk earrings with filigree decoration. Tomb 22, southern necropolis, Herakleia, southern Italy. 4th century BCE. (Archaeological Museum of Siritide, Policoro, Italy)