Gold in antiquity: Did you mean...?

Roman gold and saphire ring, second half of the 2nd century CE. The ring has a garnet centre stone. From an unidentified marble sarcophagus in Rome. (Palazzo Massimo, Rome)

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 at The Powerhouse...

5-6th century CE gold earrings from the Silla Kingdom (57 BCE - 668 CE) of south-eastern Korea. From a tomb in the Gyeongju area. National Treasure No. 52. (National Museum of Korea, Seoul, South Korea)

A gold bead from the dolmen d'Er Roh, La Trinite Sur Mer, France, 2200-2000 BCE. Vannes Archaeological Museum, France.

Gold crown ornaments from the Baekje kingdom of ancient Korea. From the tomb of King Muryeong (r. 501-523 BCE), near Gongju. National Treasure No. 155. (National Museum of Korea, Seoul)

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, from the upper surface downwards...

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

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).

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

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. One of a pair of gold earrings, 24 carats. Gift from Shulgi to a...