| The earliest jewelry made of amber |
|
Currently lingering misconception that the Romans discovered the beauty of amber jewelry, and started producing it. Amber were found on Polish territory since time immemorial, long before the arrival of the Romans. In that case, whether our ancestors produced jewelry and other items made of amber? Cornelius Tacitus (55-120 AD) in his "Germania" states that the peoples living in areas rich in amber, did not appreciate its beauty. He notes that the Empire recognized the beauty of gold and only later in the Sambia Peninsula. The author observed the lives of people in these areas and found that the barbarians treat amber with complete indifference, silent on any value in use. The only reason for which was to be harvested was the price we were willing to pay the merchants of the Empire. Tacitus describes exactly what he saw, but could not know that the peoples inhabiting the region of the lower Vistula use the amber for over 1800 years BC. The findings in this area show that solidified resin was used not only to sustain the fire. Research conducted in this area suggest that there may be up to 800 workshops dealing with the processing of amber. They mainly produce beads treated by neolithic workshop. There are known devices that acted as amulets or ornaments in the shape of rectangular or oval plates, discs with a hole in the middle, rings, pendants and various splitter also in the shape of animals and human figures.
The spread of amber finds from the Stone Age on Polish soil. Source: Kosmowska-Cerankowicz Konart B. T. "The Mysteries of Amber |
