PUB: The trade in decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Ages

The trade in decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Ages, new journal article in Antiquity Volume 94 – Issue 374 – April 2020

The trade in decorated ostrich eggs in the ancient Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Agesby: Tamar Hodos (a1), Caroline R. Cartwright (a2), Janet Montgomery (a3), Geoff Nowell (a4), Kayla Crowder (a3), Alexandra C. Fletcher (a5) and Yvonne Gönster (a6)

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.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/origins-of-decorated-ostrich-eggs-in-the-ancient-mediterranean-and-middle-east/4392103E65123FEFD695B19723576C62