Looking good feeling great was the title for this class we were going to look at the jewellery which I was interested in.
Personal adornments express identity by the following:- Gender, religion, social status free or slave,
social class plebeians, eques or patricians and wealth.
Portable antiquities scheme show 240,000 items where found around York over 50% of the finds were worn on the body a lot of these found by metal detectorists.
Bracelets are made of copper alloys the designs started out very simple, twisted wire then casted.
They were able to mass produce bracelets by casting them.
Indicators of wealth depending on the metals useded to make jewellery such as iron, cooper, silver or gold.
Finger rings can be associated with status, Intaglios rings had a stone setting many showed figures on them quite often gods.
Stones were glued in with animal glues, they would degrade due to heat or cold, a lot found in sewers by the bath houses.
Brooches did change a lot some designs only lasted 30 yrs others lasted longer. Usually used in pairs to possibly attach a cloak.
A Dragoness broach inlaid with enamel.
Soldiers seems to wear broaches, from statues you can see them pined on their chests to signify rank.
Jet was very popular, pendants, bracelets, rings, hair pins and beads were made the Jet came from Whithby, the jewerlly has been found across the Roman Emipire.
The roman coins that depicted the Emporors wife's could be compared to today's celebrity magazines such as Hello, you could see the trends of hair styles over the centuries.
Elephant ivory made into rings beads, pendants
Earrings usually only single ones found.
Millefiori mount inlaid with mosaic glass. When you look closely you can see all the tiny pieces of glass I do not know how they managed to cut the pieces so small.
