Egyptian jewelry

Items of personal adornment from the Nile Valley are an important part of the history of jewelry. More than mere body ornament, jewelry in ancient Egypt was used to display rank, proclaim wealth, and designate social status. It was also fashioned into powerful amulets, objects of barter and trade, accouterments of daily attire, diplomatic gifts, military honors, and propagandistic tools. The Egyptologist Walter B. Emery once commented that the Egyptians “were greatly addicted to the wearing of jewelry.” No doubt his observation was based on archaeological evidence demonstrating that jewelry was worn by the living as well as the dead, by mortals as well as by representations of the gods, and by men as well as by women and children. Since precious metals are eminently recyclable, the body of material from ancient Egypt that has survived probably represents only a fraction of the jewelry produced. This situation is compounded by a long history of tomb robbery. In addition, jewels obtained surreptitiously were often disassembled, the precious stones unmounted, and the metal melted down by a profitable underground network of thieves, craftsmen, and officials. Our understanding of Egyptian jewelry comes from a variety sources. Most valuable are ornaments recovered during controlled excavations. For example, a Predynastic (Naqada II) diadem from Abydos, now in the British Museum, was discovered in a burial attached to the head of a woman. Composed of gold, garnet, turquoise, and malachite beads, the circlet represents one of the few beaded ornaments where the original pattern of the beadwork was recorded. As a result, the form, method of construction, and use of what would otherwise be a handful of beads are known. Additionally, the archaeological record provides information concerning the sex and social circumstances of the owner. Such knowledge, crucial if we are to determine...

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