Roads of Arabia

18bis Arabie US p318-363.qxd 23/06/10 22:13 Page 348
ROADS OF ARABIA
JEWELLERY
The Queen of Sheba supposedly brought many gifts and great
quantities of gold to King Solomon (Kings, 10). Indeed, geological
surveys between Medina and Yemenite Jawf revealed the existence
of goldmines. 1 Its deposits and the import of precious or
semi-precious stones from the Indian sub-continent allowed the
development of high-level gold work. Some jewels, like the beads
used as separators, were mass produced (cat. nos 178 and 179). 2
The Hellenistic jewels imported from the Near East largely influenced
the forms and ornementation of South Arabian jewellery
(cat. no. 180). M. C.
1. London 2002, p. 120.
2. ‘Aqil 1993, p. 189.
177. Loop earrings with an agate bead and granulated beads
c. 1st–3rd century AD
Gold and agate
Diam. 2.5 cm
Qaryat al-Faw
Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 16 F 14
179. Disc-shaped beads with a cloisonné décor of rosette motifs,
for separating various elements of a necklace
c. 1st–3rd century AD
Gold, glass paste
Diam. about 1 cm
Qaryat al-Faw
Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 63 F 10
178. Beads for separating various elements of a necklace
c. 1st–3rd century AD
Gold
H. about 0.5 cm
Qaryat al-Faw
Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 82 F 12
180. Bell-shaped earrings (opposite page)
c. 1st–3rd century AD
Gold
H. 3.4 cm; Diam. about 2 cm
Qaryat al-Faw
Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 79 F 12
348