Posted on 02/16/2006 1:37:32 PM PST by NormsRevenge
THESSALONIKI, Greece - A Greek hiker found a 6,500-year-old gold pendant in a field and handed it over to authorities, an archaeologist said Thursday.
The flat, roughly ring-shaped prehistoric pendant probably had religious significance and would have been worn on a necklace by a prominent member of society.
Only three such gold artifacts have been discovered during organized digs, archaeologist Georgia Karamitrou-Mendesidi, head of the Greek archaeological service in the northern region where the discovery was made, told The Associated Press.
"It belongs to the Neolithic period, about which we know very little regarding the use of metals, particularly gold," she said. "The fact that it is made of gold indicates that these people were highly advanced, producing significant works of art."
She said the pendant, measuring rough 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches, was picked up last year near the town of Ptolemaida, about 90 miles southwest of the northern city of Thessaloniki. Karamitrou-Mendesidi is to present the artifact at a three-day archaeological conference that opened Thursday in Thessaloniki.
Greek police confiscated a hoard of 33 similar pieces of hammered gold jewelry from smugglers in 1997.
The woman who found the pendant did not want a reward and wished to remain anonymous, Karamitrou-Mendesidi said.
Similar finds have been excavated in modern Turkey and the Balkans, particularly in Bulgaria.
Around 4500 B.C., when the pendant was made, Greece's early Neolithic farming settlements were consolidating into structured trading centers with a developed knowledge of metalworking.
In November, archaeologists announced the discovery of two prehistoric farming settlements dating back as early as 6000 B.C. in the Ptolemaida region.
The settlement digs uncovered burial sites, clay and stone figurines of humans and animals, pottery and stone tools.
Another 25 prehistoric settlements have been found in the area.
An undated handout picture showing a 6,500-year-old gold jewel that has been picked up in a northern Greek field by a hiker who handed it over to authorities, an archaeologist said in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006. (AP Photo/Culture Ministry)
ancient 'bling' ping
Well now we know that the ancient Greeks didn't have twist off bottlecaps.
If I found that, I may have just tossed it in a drawer...or in the trash.
Great story. Thanks
Yup. I have a 10 million year old petrified shark tooth that I found in Charleston in my drawer of 'stuff.'
Greek ping list.
funny!!
Looks like the prehistoric predecessor of the six-pack ring.
Did you carbon date it?
No. I took it to an archaeologists in Charleston he told me the date.
I asked if it was rare, that's when he opened a cabinet door and showed me hundreds just like it that people had brought him over the years. LOL
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I wouldn't have parted with it, myself.
Interesting find!
When I was a kid we used to go to Sharks' Tooth Mountain to sift. Can't do that now: It belongs to PG&E, and it's said to be loaded with Valley Feaver spores.
It's quite beautiful.
LOL thats great
Okay everyone, time to get out the metal detectors.
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