Necklace with Amber Beads

The necklace was composed of 45 amber beads of different shapes: forty-two oval beads, one conical bead, one cylindrical bead, and one heart-shaped bead.

The necklace was part of the funerary assemblage of the woman buried in Tomb 5 of the Mangosa Necropolis, dating to the earliest phase of use of this burial area (700–665 BC). This assemblage is one of the richest currently known and clearly belonged to a woman of high social rank, as shown by the presence of several precious objects: rings, earrings, brooches (fibulae), bronze belt fittings, a gold finger ring/bracelet, and a rare vessel made of sheet bronze. Also present was a distinctive headdress (or veil) decorated with small bronze studs, a typical element of female costume in the 7th century BC. Finally, the amber necklace described here was included. Amber, valued since prehistoric times and still considered a precious material today, played a very important role in the material culture of prehistoric and protohistoric Europe. Owing to its warm, luminous color, it was thought to be a solar symbol and to possess therapeutic and protective properties. It was also regarded as a highly valuable material and was therefore used to make jewelry for individuals of high social status, such as the woman buried in this rich grave.