Gemstones Seal Stones and Ceremonial Stones
Human beings have been fascinated by brightly colored minerals since prehistoric times. The earliest gemstones probably were found as small, polished pebbles lying in rivers and streams or in deposits of heavily weathered aggregates (Arem 1977). Initially
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Gemstones, Seal Stones, and Ceremonial Stones
5.1 Introduction Human beings have been fascinated by brightly colored minerals since prehistoric times. The earliest gemstones probably were found as small, polished pebbles lying in rivers and streams or in deposits of heavily weathered aggregates (Arem 1977). Initially, these objects may have been carried by hand or in small containers as highly prized personal possessions. Some were tied together or pierced for use as beads, and eventually adhesives were developed in order to secure the stones to metal settings. The art of gem carving dates at least back to the 7th millennium BCE in the Indus Valley. Gemstones very early became associated with folklore and superstition. Without an understanding of mineral formation or chemical composition, people developed myths as a way to explain the colors of gemstones. According to ancient folklore of India, for example, gems were formed when the blood of a slain heavenly dragon fell to earth in droplets, crystallizing into stones of various colors (Jangl and Jangl 1989, p. 3). In some societies, individual gemstone colors were believed to have magical influence over the lives of humans. They could bring health or sickness, luck or misfortune, depending on the type of stone. In medieval Europe, gems were thought to reflect the morality and health of the wearer and certain stones were believed to lose their color as a result of the immoral behavior or death of the owner (Kunz 1971, p. 24). Some of these associations are provided in this chapter, but the treatment is not extensive. Gemstones were also important cultural indicators of social rank, profession, and religious belief. In ancient Aztec society, only the gods, priests, and royalty were permitted to wear turquoise (Pogue 1915). The association of gemstones with the sacred is also found in the Old Testament, where the high priests of the temple wore a breastplate containing 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel (Wright and Chadbourne 1970). In medieval times these 12 gems became affiliated with the 12 signs of the zodiac. The modern custom of birthstones is derived from this tradition. Because highly valued stones were not always locally available, gemstones serve as a valuable indicator of trade patterns. A well-known example of this is found in the ancient use of lapis lazuli. Although Afghanistan was the only known source
G. Rapp, Archaeomineralogy, 2nd ed., Natural Science in Archaeology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-78594-1_5, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009
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Gemstones, Seal Stones, and Ceremonial Stones
of this mineral during antiquity, lapis is found widely throughout the Old World (Herrmann 1968). The word lapis comes from the Latin for stone. Throughout history, gemstones have been cut or shaped in order to enhance their beauty. In antiquity this often consisted of simply smoothing and rounding rough edges. However, ancient examples of carving can also be found. Even extremely hard substances such as rock crystal (quartz) were carved into
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