The Origins of Decorated Ostrich Eggs in the Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East

Hodos, Tamar; Cartwright, Caroline; Montgomery, Janet; Nowell, Geoff; Crowder, Kayla; Fletcher, Alexandra; Goenster, Yvonne

Abstract

Decorated ostrich eggs were traded around the Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Research on their origins has focused primarily on decorative techniques and iconography to characterise the producers, workshops and trade routes, thereby equating decorative styles with cultural identities and geographic locations. This is problematic, as craftspeople were mobile and worked in the service of foreign royal patrons. The present study investigates the provenance of ancient ostrich eggs, reconsiders trade patterns via isotopic indicators and characterises decorative techniques in order to assist in the identification of culturally distinct decorative styles or regional preferences.

Citation

Hodos, T., Cartwright, C., Montgomery, J., Nowell, G., Crowder, K., Fletcher, A., & Goenster, Y. (2020). The Origins of Decorated Ostrich Eggs in the Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East. Antiquity, 94(374), 381-400. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.14

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 18, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Apr 9, 2020
• Publication Date: Apr 30, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 28, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 29, 2020
• Journal: Antiquity
• Print ISSN: 0003-598X
• Electronic ISSN: 1745-1744
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 94
• Issue: 374
• Pages: 381-400
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2020.14
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1309265