corundum, treatments.6, gems

corundum, synthetic corundum.7, synthetic sapphire, triangular bubbles, Verneuil, gems

corundum, star sapphire, surface diffusion, treatments.6, gems

gems, jade, pyroxene jade, fei cui, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, archaeogemology, Mesoamerican art

Objects representative of pre-Hispanic traditions collected during or shortly after the Spanish conquest of Mexico are of obvious and significant importance for any study of the aesthetics and art history of the Late Postclassic period, because they include artifact types, examples of techniques and styles insufficiently or not at all preserved in archaeological contexts. At the same time, their identification, documentation and evaluation are made difficult by a number of factors: (1) At the time of their collecting, these objects were removed from their indigenous cultural context without adequate attention to their relationship to other aspects of culture. In this respect they differ from objects obtained from controlled archaeological excavations, which retain at least some stratigraphic association. The problems encountered in their interpretation resemble those of “looted objects” (which, indeed, they are). (2) Records of their transfer from the “field” to Europe, and later within the network of European Kunstkammer-type collections, remain incompletely known, if they are available at all. Museum curators, especially those trained as anthropologists, who may have the expertise necessary to interpret the written information contained in early documents, generally have to depend for the identification of such records upon archivists, who generally do not have the background to recognize their relevance. (3) Genuine scholarly interest in the meaning of these works had its origin in the late nineteenth century, at a time when knowledge of both pre-Cortesian cultures and Kunstkammer-type collections was still rudimentary. Conclusions reached during this pioneer stage of investigations have tended to become accepted as fact, although at least some of them should rather be regarded as part of the mythology of Mexicanist studies. The proliferation of such misguided notions in the secondary literature has made them almost impervious to critical reassessment. In addition, most of the basic studies (as well as many of their sources) have been published in German, which has not been helpful in bringing the results to the attention of Anglophone and Hispanic professional audiences.

gems, ancient gemology, ancient jewelry, early metallurgy, ancient history, geography, Pliny

This collectively authored volume, edited by G. Mokhtar, surveys the development of African societies from the later prehistoric periods to approximately the seventh century CE, placing the continent’s ancient civilizations within a connected African history. Twenty-nine chapters are organized around four broad regions: Egypt and Nubia, the Ethiopian highlands, North Africa and the Sahara, and sub-Saharan Africa with Madagascar. The substantial treatment of the Nile valley examines the origins of ancient Egyptians, Pharaonic political and social institutions, agriculture, economic organization, religion, writing, artistic and scientific achievements, and Egypt’s relations with other African societies. Hellenistic and Roman Egypt are considered alongside the continuity and transformation of earlier traditions. Chapters on Nubia trace developments through Kerma, Napata, Meroe, and the Christian kingdoms, emphasizing both distinctive local cultures and the region’s role in exchanges between the Mediterranean and the African interior. The Ethiopian section addresses pre-Aksumite societies, Aksum’s political economy and commercial connections, and the establishment of Christianity. North African chapters examine indigenous populations, Carthage, Roman and post-Roman societies, and Saharan settlement and communication. The remaining contributions synthesize evidence for eastern, western, central, and southern Africa, including hunting and gathering, food production, settlement, ironworking, maritime commerce, and emerging social and political complexity. Madagascar is treated through its settlement history and cultural connections across the Indian Ocean. Throughout, environmental change, population movement, technological development, trade, and religious transformation provide themes linking otherwise uneven regional records. The volume challenges historical approaches that detach Egypt and North Africa from the rest of the continent or assume that sub-Saharan history begins only with later written accounts. Archaeological discoveries, inscriptions, linguistic comparisons, material culture, and documentary sources are brought together, while competing interpretations are retained in controversial areas, notably the peopling of ancient Egypt. The editor repeatedly stresses the scarcity and unequal geographical distribution of evidence, uncertainties in chronology, and the provisional character of many reconstructions. The concluding synthesis emphasizes African foundations, local initiative, and interaction with neighboring regions, while identifying research priorities in archaeology, ancient communication routes, migration, language relationships, and cultural exchange. The work offers both an extensive synthesis of scholarship and a framework for further investigation rather than a uniformly documented narrative of the continent’s ancient past.

gems, archaeology, archaeogemology, Africa, Egypt

The use of oral traditions as part of the direct historical approach in African archaeology has become a widely adopted method in the study of Iron Age cultures. This trend stems from three main factors. First, many African societies have only undergone intense cultural transformation within the last century, thereby preserving more intact historical thought systems than in regions with a longer history of industrialization. Second, since literacy is largely a modern development in many African societies, archaeologists are prompted to consult indigenous histories that were not previously recorded, as well as oral accounts documented by educated elites, missionaries, travelers, and colonial administrators. Third, the richness of oral traditions concerning specific places and historical events has proven especially valuable for archaeologists seeking to identify sites and interpret their function and meaning. As a result, the African context—particularly in regions with established state systems and well-preserved oral historiographies—has provided an ideal and conducive environment for the integration of oral tradition into archaeological research.

gems, archaeology, archaeogemology, Africa, Egypt

One of the persistent illusions in Southern African archaeology is the belief that the past can be approached neutrally—that artefacts will ‘speak for themselves’ and archaeologists can reconstruct the histories of past communities in a purely scientific, unbiased manner. This assumption, already challenged in other contexts, is especially problematic in a region where history has long been contested terrain. Colonial settlers used historical interpretations to legitimize land appropriation; Afrikaner nationalist historians crafted ethnic narratives to justify segregation; liberal historians often downplayed the role of capital accumulation in segregationist policies; and African nationalist historians have sought to construct histories that affirm national identity (Cornevin 1980; Legassick 1980; Marks 1986a; Ranger 1979; Saul and Gelb 1981). It is naïve to imagine archaeology can be exempt from such political processes. In reviewing the history of archaeological research on Southern Africa’s farming communities—still frequently, if inaccurately, labeled the ‘Iron Age’—this study proceeds from the premise that all interpretations of the past are inextricably bound to the present. This does not mean history is mere propaganda, nor that archaeologists lack rigor in evaluating evidence. While distortions exist, particularly in interpretations of Great Zimbabwe, the connection between past and present is usually more subtle. Present-day concerns shape historical questions, and contemporary assumptions—‘common-sense’ notions about society—influence how fragmentary archaeological data are interpreted. Moreover, Southern African archaeologists have long engaged with international schools of thought, further complicating the historiographical landscape, which becomes a layered assemblage of interpretations, assumptions, and data that are not easily disentangled.

gems, gem localities, beryl, emerald, aquamarine, morganite, chrysoberyl, alexandrite, corundum, ruby, sapphire, diamond, garnet, opal, quartz, spinel, spodumene, tourmaline, paraiba, zoisite

The 1980s witnessed significant developments in the discovery of new sources for diamonds and colored gemstones, alongside increased production at many established mining sites. This article highlights important new finds and major gem-producing localities from the decade, offering brief descriptions of each and assessing their impact on the jewelry industry. Additionally, it includes an index of key recent publications related to these gemstone occurrences.

jade, jadeite, fei cui, kaersutite, nephrite, gems

Three of four opaque black gems being represented in the trade as the pyroxene jadeite were identified by X-ray diffraction as rocks containing a maior component of amphibole, probably kaersutite. The fourth stone showed the diffraction pattern for jadeite. Since the basic gemnmological properties of some amphiboles like kaersutite overlap those of jadeite, routine gemmological testing cannot separate the two. More advanced testing techniques, such as X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis, are needed to make this separation.

gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt, inclusions

The aim of latest expedition to Djebel Sikeit and Djebel Zabarah by the brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni was the re-discovery of the Pharaoh's emerald mines. The Castiglioni expedition was successful in the re-discovery of these forgotten ancient mines and has collected samples and documents on these famous deposits of precious stones, providing emer- ald specimens of great interest to gemmologists and archaeologists, as will be revealed in this paper.