Image Details

Courtesy Alfonso Archi

Three parts of another necklace (shown here, compare with photos of gold chain and bronze decorative head) consist of two layers of gold fused together; an embossed plate with four intricate braids forms the top layer. Round pendants of granulated gold encircle six-pointed stars. The design and craftsmanship rival the finest jewelry from Byblos in Lebanon, known for its craftsmanship. Apparently plundered just before the final destruction of Ebla’s palace, between 1650 and 1600 B.C., this piece and a number of other artifacts from this tomb were found in adjoining tombs where the robbers may have dropped them.