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INTRODUCTION
importedshellforthelocalcommunity,crafspecializationandthelogisticsofmaterial
supply.CrafspecializationintheNeolithicdeservesparticularattentionasitmarks
importantchangesineconomiesandinsocialorganizationthatalsocorrelatetoextensive
humanprogressregardingtechnologicalsophistication.Onlyafewtechnologicalstudies
ofNeolithicornamentmanufacturehavebeencarriedoutuntillnow.Heit)sarticlepresents
adetailedapproachtothechaîneopératoireofshellbeadmanufactureatMP4.Moreover,
ittouchesoncrafspecializationin“non-utilitarian”branchessuchasmanufactureof
personalornamentsintheCircumcaspianregionduringtheNeolithic.
Teapotropaictransformationandappropriationofformisapparentinpendantsthat
areofeninterpretedasamulets.Withtheirspecificshape,manybearanapotropaicvalue
andarebelievedtoprovidethosewhowearthemwithsupernaturalpowersandproperties.
MaartenHornprovidesanin-depthanalysisconcerningahippopotamus-shapedpendant,
whichislikelytobeEgyptianPredynasticBadariandespitethedisturbedcontextinwhich
itwasfound.Hearguesthatthisspecificpendantisaminiaturereplicationofavessel
thatmighthavebeenusedintheproduction,storageandsupplyofmalachitebody
paintthatendoweditswearerwiththepositivequalitiesoflife,growth,fertility,and
healing.Sincesuchpendantsareunderstoodtohavehadsimilarassociationsandvalues
inthesubsequentNaqadianperiod,thisistakenasanindicationofthetransmission,
continuationandprevalenceofcognitivepracticesovertimeandbetweenculturesthat
havebeendeemeduntilnowtobedistinct.
Tesymbolicandculticmeaningofformandmaterialinjewelryisalsotakenupby
AmirGolani,whodiscussesthesignificanceandusesofcowriesandtheirimitations
asornamentalamuletsinEgyptandtheNearEast.Teshapeofthecowriesresembles
boththefemalegenitaliaandasquintingeyeandwasheldingreatesteembyvariousand
unrelatedculturesfromprehistorictomoderntimesinordertopromotefertilityand
wardoltheevileye.Bytheirresemblancetothefemalevulva,thecowriespersonified
thefemaleprincipleandtheforceofreproduction,functioningasprotectiveamuletsfor
adolescentgirlstoensureconception,birthandtocuresterility.Bytheirresemblanceto
ahalf-opensquintinghumaneye,thecowrieswerealsoapparentlyregardedaspotent
protectionagainstthemaliciouspowersoftheevileyeinthisworldandthenext,ofen
believedtobethecauseofanyformofmaladyormisfortune.Asprotectiveamulets,
thesymbolicpotencyofthecowryformwasenhancedwhenitwasduplicatedinother
materialsthatwereofenascribedwithsymbolicmeaningsoftheirown.
Teprecisecontextofafindiskeytounderstandingthemeaningofsimple-formdiadems
thatareusuallyinterpretedascrowns.ZuzannaWygnańskareviewstheirdevelopmentand
usefromthe4thtothebeginningofthe2ndmillenniumBCthroughouttheancientNear
East.Suchsimpleheadornamentsconsistedeitherofanelongatedbandorashortplate
andweremostofenmadeofpreciousmetals.Teirinterpretationashighstatusmarkers
isbasedmainlyoniconographicstudies,whilethestudyofarchaeologicalandcultural
contextoftherealfinds,originatingmostlyfromgraves,combinedwithethnographic
comparisons,showsthattheirusemusthavebeendilerentiated.Tesimple-formdiadems
mighthavebeenusedassymbolsofelevatedsocialposition,butmayhavealsobeenworn
toindicatenon-verticalfeaturesofindividualsocialidentity.Assuchtheyareevidenceof
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PAM23/2:SpecialStudies
