gems, ancient jewelry, early metallurgy, gold, Greece, Greek, Thessalian gold jewelry

It has long been known that Thessaly is a region rich in antiquities both prehistoric and Classical. In recent years it has been receiving more of the archaeological attention it so well deserves and is indeed adding significantly to our understanding of Greek civilization from earliest through Byzantine times. Outstanding work in the earlier periods has been carried out especially by D. R. Theochares, G. H. Hourmouziades, and V. Milojčić with admirable and detailed publication. Byzantine antiquities have been under the excellent care of P. Lazarides and N. Nikonanos. Thessalian gold jewelry is another field with a wealth of accumulated material which has so far received little attention. This monograph will begin to rectify the situation by discussing two outstanding groups of jewelry from that region. Until recently our estimation of Thessalian jewelry was based mainly on a problematic and now scattered group said to have been found in a grave at Palaiokastro, ancient Metropolis, and equally insecurely, on two groups of somewhat uncertain provenience, the so-called Demetrias (?) and Carpenisi (?) Groups which arrived via the hands of antiquities dealers into the collections where they are now housed in Athens.