Jewellery, Gold Votive Plaques and a Silver Belt from Altıntepe

Abstract

Our knowledge of Urartian jewellery in precious stones and metals has remained obscure in spite of references in Assyrian texts and examples portrayed in Urartian descriptive art. This can be attributed to two causes: (a) The jewellery from illicit excavations has not reached the museums; (b) Urartian tombs and cemeteries have not as yet been subjected to sufficiently methodical systems of research. In addition, jewellery of unknown provenance which has been bought by museums has not been published. However, that brought to light at the three Urartian centres of Karmir-Blur, Altıntepe, and Patnos/Deǧirmentepe has to some degree increased our knowledge of Urartian personal ornamentation.JewelleryThe jewellery from Altıntepe is made of gold, silver and precious stones:1. Gold and silver buttons (Pl. XIa–c):In the second room of the third tomb, and outside the coffin of the man, were found eight gold and six silver buttons. Thirty-two gold buttons, sewn onto the dress of the woman, were found in her sarcophagus. Thirty-eight of the large buttons are 1·75 cm. in diameter and 0·6 cm. in height. All are circular, with convex surfaces decorated at the centre with a six-petalled rosette encircled by six circles in repoussé and six granular triangles. The rosettes and circles are bordered by granules and a gold wire set between two rows of granules encircles the central design around the rim.