Analysis of Jordanian body ornaments demonstrates the complex interplay between art, trade, status and funerary customs. An ornate necklace found in a children's tomb in ancient Jordan sheds light on the social complexity of Neolithic culture. The findings are detailed in a recent study published in the journal PLOSONE by Jara-Ararasi and other colleagues from the Spanish Council for Advanced Scientific Research and the Université Côte d'Azur in France.
An ancient necklace unearthed from a children's tomb in Jordan sheds light on the intricate social culture of the Neolithic Age, highlighting the importance of ornaments and hinting at the complex social dynamics of the time. The final physical reconstruction of the necklace is on display today at the New Museum in Petra, Jordan. Image source: Alarashi et al., 2023, PLOSONE, CC-BY4.0
Body decoration is a powerful symbol that conveys cultural values and personal identity, and is therefore of high value in the study of ancient cultures. In the study, Alarahi and colleagues analyzed decorative materials from an eight-year-old child buried in a tomb in the Neolithic Jordanian village of Baja, dated between 7400 and 6800 BC.
The materials include more than 2,500 colorful stones and shells, two special amber beads (the oldest known amber beads in the Levant), a large stone pendant and a beautifully carved mother-of-pearl ring. By analyzing the items' composition, craftsmanship, and spatial arrangement, the authors concluded that the items belonged to a single composite multi-row necklace that was later dispersed. As part of the study, researchers created a physical reconstruction of the original necklace, which is now on display at the Petra Museum in southern Jordan.
The multi-row necklace is one of the oldest and most impressive ornaments from the Neolithic period, and sheds new light on the funerary customs of people who were apparently of high social status at the time. The creation of the necklace appears to have required meticulous work and the importation of some exotic materials from other regions. The study of this necklace reveals complex social dynamics among members of the Ba'ja community, including artisans, merchants, and high-ranking officials who commissioned such items, which certainly warrants further study of this Neolithic culture.
The author summarizes this research in the article: "Decorating the dead child, connecting the worlds of life and death: the discovery and reconstruction of an extraordinary 9,000-year-old necklace in the Jordanian village of Baja."