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INTRODUCTION
Alltooofen,researchonancientjewelryhasbeenCobjectdriven)
,studiedthrough
theeyesofthearthistorianandgenerallydetachedfromitsarcheologicalcontext.Most
excavationreportsstillrelegatejewelrytothecategoryofCsmallfinds)withlittleorno
discussionconcerningtheircontext,materialsortechnology.Interdisciplinaryapproaches
inrecentdecadeshaveseenagrowingawarenessofthemanyandvariedperspectives
(i.e.,contexts)fromwhichjewelrymaybestudied.Teseintegratenumerousdisciplines
suchasarthistoryandiconography,thestudyofwrittensources,thescientificstudyof
materialsandtechnology,inadditiontotradepatterns,migrationoftechnology,craf
specializationandmanufacturingprocessesandculturalcontactstonameonlyafew.
Context
Temeaningofjewelrycannotbeunderstoodoutsideofitscontext.Tearchaeological
contextisnolessimportantinthisprocessthanistheculturalcontext,makingtheir
integrationanecessity.Jewelryitemsaresmallandmobileandmaybefoundinawide
varietyofarchaeologicalcontexts.Anobjectofnocontexthasasuspectauthenticity.
Anobjectfromacontrolledcontextinarchaeologicalexcavationsisimportantforrelative
chronologicaldating,byitsassociationtootherdatableartifactssuchasceramics,orin
laterperiods,coins.However,datingbasedonassociatedobjectsdoeshaveitspitfalls,as
heirloomssuchasjewelrymaybepasseddownforgenerations.Tisimpliessomereverence
regardingthesymbolism,aestheticbeautyandantiquityofanitem.
Controlledarchaeologicalcontextsincludepersonaladornmentsdiscoveredin
foundationdeposits,aswellastheisolatedfindswithinhabitationallevels.Jewelrymay
alsobefoundinhiddenamalgamationsofwealth,suchashoardsorincollectionsthat
weresacrificedsuchasfoundationdepositsthatwereneverintendedtoberetrievedby
theirowners.Tough,mostjewelryoriginatesfromtombswhereitmightreflectwhatwas
wornineverydaylife,acautiousstudyofcontextisstillcrucialforunderstandingthereal
significanceofadornments.Farmorejewelrywasprobablymadeforthedayofburialitself
ratherthanforeverydaywear,asreligiousbeliefsofendictatedthatcertainoleringstothe
deadaccompanythemintotheaferlifeandtheburialritesthemselvesservedtopublicize
thestatusofthedeceased.
Inthearchaeologicalrecord,jewelry,likemostfinds,willalwaysberepresentedinan
incompletemanner,asitssurvivalisdependentonthematerialsfromwhichitwasmade
andthedegreetowhichthesematerialsdeterioratewithintheirdepositionalenvironment.
Inaddition,findingjewelryisofendependentontheexcavationmethodsthemselves,
suchassieving.Tesearesomeofthereasonsthatcontexts,suchastombs,hoardsand
foundationdeposits,areoneoftherichestsourcesofancientjewelry,whilerelevantitems
fromsettlementsaregenerallymoresporadic.
Culturalcontextdetermineshowjewelrywasusedwithinasocietyandisanexpression
ofthechangingbeliefsandfashionsofthetime.Tismaybeunderstoodthroughvarious
ancientvisualrepresentationsandtextualreferencestojewelryaswellasinsitufindsof
jewelryinburials,whichillustratewhatkindsofjewelrywereworn,howtheywereworn
andbywhom.
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