DOI Artikel:
Witecka, Anna: Catalogue of jewellery found in the tower-tomb of Atenatan at Palmyra
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26419#0151
Studia Palmyreńskie IX, 1994
73
Date: First half of 2 nd cent. A.D.
No close parallels to this earring have been published. The nearest ones can be seen on Palmyrene
funerary female busts (Colledge 1976: ill. 64; Deppert-Lipitz 1987: 195, Abb. 4;
Gawlikowski 1987: 301, ill. 21: Ingholt 1928: pls. XI, XII; Mackay 1949: 168; Tanabe 1986: ill. 237,
446, 354), Ingholt’s Category I (Pls. VII/1,2;XI/2,3), and first of all on the portrait of Sheba, daughter
of Atenatan, which was found in the same location in the tomb as the earring(see Annex and Pl. XI/1).
Identically represented earrings occur also on some bas-reliefs from Hauran dated to 2 nd - 3 rd cent. A.D. 5
The use of real pearls (surely originating from the Persian Gulf) is not surprising in Palmyra.
The earring from Brooklyn Museum (Davidson & Oliver 1984: 90, no. 77) dated to 2nd - 3 rd cent.A.D.
has a similar structure to ours: rings of thin wires with threaded pearls were set on a thick and conical
core. Another parallel dated similarly (3 rd cent. A.D.) and coming from Antaradus (Tartus) in Syria, is
today in the collection of the British Museum (Marshall 1911: no. 2343, pl. LI).
Pendants in the shape of a bunch of grapes constructed of metal globules occur frequently in the Roman
Empire, especially in the 2 nd - 3 rd cent. A.D. They are often additionally decorated with granulation in
the shape of miniature grapes. One of them, dated to 2 nd cent. A.D., comes from Syria and is now in
the National Museum, Damascus (Pl.X/1; Deppert-Lipitz 1987: 185, Abb. 6).
Such earrings are known also from Palestine (Hanita, Ramat Rahel, Yehi’am) where they are dated to
the 3 rd and 4 Ü' cent. A.D. (Barag 1978: 41-43). Many examples of this type can be seen in the collection
of the British Museum (Marshall 1911: nos. 2378, 2390, pl. LII). Similar pendants originate also from
Kertch in the Crimea (Ondrejova 1975: 72-73, pl. V).
Considering the above parallels, this earring is the earliest known example of the type and seems to
originate from somewhere in Syria or maybe even Palmyra itself.
2. Earring with pendants
Pls. II/2, III/2
Inv. no:
Dimensions:
Material:
Technique:
Condition:
Provenience:
11/92
L. 31 mm, W. 14 mm.
Silver and pearls.
Solid cast elements and thin round wires.
Clasp and extremity of one pendant missing.
The same archaeological context as no.l, i.e. from the late l st cent. to the early
second half of 2 nd cent. A.D.
5 In the garden of the National Museum in Damascus there are some bas-reliefs with representations of women wearing such
earrings.
73
Date: First half of 2 nd cent. A.D.
No close parallels to this earring have been published. The nearest ones can be seen on Palmyrene
funerary female busts (Colledge 1976: ill. 64; Deppert-Lipitz 1987: 195, Abb. 4;
Gawlikowski 1987: 301, ill. 21: Ingholt 1928: pls. XI, XII; Mackay 1949: 168; Tanabe 1986: ill. 237,
446, 354), Ingholt’s Category I (Pls. VII/1,2;XI/2,3), and first of all on the portrait of Sheba, daughter
of Atenatan, which was found in the same location in the tomb as the earring(see Annex and Pl. XI/1).
Identically represented earrings occur also on some bas-reliefs from Hauran dated to 2 nd - 3 rd cent. A.D. 5
The use of real pearls (surely originating from the Persian Gulf) is not surprising in Palmyra.
The earring from Brooklyn Museum (Davidson & Oliver 1984: 90, no. 77) dated to 2nd - 3 rd cent.A.D.
has a similar structure to ours: rings of thin wires with threaded pearls were set on a thick and conical
core. Another parallel dated similarly (3 rd cent. A.D.) and coming from Antaradus (Tartus) in Syria, is
today in the collection of the British Museum (Marshall 1911: no. 2343, pl. LI).
Pendants in the shape of a bunch of grapes constructed of metal globules occur frequently in the Roman
Empire, especially in the 2 nd - 3 rd cent. A.D. They are often additionally decorated with granulation in
the shape of miniature grapes. One of them, dated to 2 nd cent. A.D., comes from Syria and is now in
the National Museum, Damascus (Pl.X/1; Deppert-Lipitz 1987: 185, Abb. 6).
Such earrings are known also from Palestine (Hanita, Ramat Rahel, Yehi’am) where they are dated to
the 3 rd and 4 Ü' cent. A.D. (Barag 1978: 41-43). Many examples of this type can be seen in the collection
of the British Museum (Marshall 1911: nos. 2378, 2390, pl. LII). Similar pendants originate also from
Kertch in the Crimea (Ondrejova 1975: 72-73, pl. V).
Considering the above parallels, this earring is the earliest known example of the type and seems to
originate from somewhere in Syria or maybe even Palmyra itself.
2. Earring with pendants
Pls. II/2, III/2
Inv. no:
Dimensions:
Material:
Technique:
Condition:
Provenience:
11/92
L. 31 mm, W. 14 mm.
Silver and pearls.
Solid cast elements and thin round wires.
Clasp and extremity of one pendant missing.
The same archaeological context as no.l, i.e. from the late l st cent. to the early
second half of 2 nd cent. A.D.
5 In the garden of the National Museum in Damascus there are some bas-reliefs with representations of women wearing such
earrings.