Two small orientalising spirals (Rome, 10th-9th century BC) common objects – precious jewels

Abstract

The finding of hair decorations is not rare in archaeological excavations. It is well known that pins, gold nets, gold wires and threads embellished noble ladies’ heads, but it is less common to find small accessories meant to bind braids created as small jewels, such as the 7th century BC spirals found in Lazio. Two hair coils of great refinement, probably used as ‘braid binders’, with terminals decorated by filigree have been found in two funeral sets from two princely tombs of the Laurentina Acqua Acetosa Necropolis (n. 74 and n. 133). The objects present similarities with other items of the same typology from Amendolara (CS), Narce, Marsiliana and Vetulonia. The item from tomb 133 is made of silver covered by electrum, while the second one, from tomb 74, was made entirely in gold. Their analytical study allowed the determination of peculiar details concerning their fabrication, from the composition of the constituent materials to the technological solutions used for their production. The scientific observations, carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), furnished important data for the characterization of the single object, to be used also as a base for comparison with the few homologous jewels known to date.