The Cross as jewelry

[cinzia8]

Hi all:

 

I've read online that archaeologists have found evidence of the cross on pottery, glassware, brooches and jewelry dating back to the 4th-6th centuries, but the sources aren't cited.  Does anyone know of any source other than Wikipedia or the Ency. Brit. that might substantiate these findings?  

 

My mid fifth century heroine wears one, but I want to mention to the reader the possibility of the accuracy of this or not.

 

Cinzia

[Viggen]

..here are some examples from the 5th to 7th century, although byzanz

http://www.edgarlowen.com/byzantine-art.shtml

http://www.edgarlowen.com/the-princeton-collection.shtml

 

...here is a ring (although undated)

http://ancientpoint.com/inf/91185-early_christian_byzantine_bronze_ring_with_cross_4___00g22mm_r___458.html

 

here another ring from Thrace (400 to 700AD)

http://www.antiquitiesgiftshop.com/store/bronze-roman-rings/early-bronze-ring-christian-byzantine-cross.html

 

 

....and finally the date you are looking for (around 300 to 400AD)

http://www.antiquitiesgiftshop.com/store/bronze-roman-rings/roman-bronze-ring-p158.html

 

cheer

viggen

[cinzia8]

Thanks, Viggen.  You're the man! :-)

 

Cinzia

[guy]

I always thought the wearing a cross to commemorate the death of one's spiritual leader and Savior a strange concept.

 

What would people wear had Jesus been hanged, mauled by lions, or (more mercifully) decapitated, instead?

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited July 8, 2014 by guy

[Aurelia]

I'm sure it would make for some interesting jewellery designs.

[cinzia8]

John the Baptist was decapitated. Of course, no one honors him in the same way they do Jesus, but he is commemorated by pictures of his imagined likeness.  If Jesus had been hanged, perhaps an image of a noose or gallows?  It seems, the first representation was the fish and later with Constantine, the cross became most prominent.  I think the crucifix came later showing Christ's body as well. 

[Aurelia]

Yes, I remember seeing engravings of fish such as the one below when visiting the Roman catacombs.

 

 

[caesar novus]

I always thought the wearing a cross to commemorate the death of one's spiritual leader and Savior a strange concept.

 

What would people wear had Jesus been hanged, mauled by lions, or (more mercifully) decapitated, instead?

I don't think it is a symbol of "means" of death, but rather what power is behind it. And not against the Romans in particular, but against whatever unjust "establishment" is in place. Remember the Roman officials exasperated at Christians breaking rules simply to become martyrs, and asking why don't they just jump off cliffs instead of provoke them to reluctantly enforce capital punishments.

 

On the other hand, depictions of Jesus in Mexican churches can be incredibly gruesome with all sorts of extra instruments of torture and blood. All such things could make a messy or ambigous symbol though, vs a cross which has a quite unique interpretation.

 

BTW I am skeptical of decapitation as being that merciful, even when not botched. I have read 1000 diary pages of a German jew who survives WW2 pograms as a free observer ("I Will Bear Witness"). For some reason the report of the electric gillotine seems among the worst. It is mainly used for disloyal non-Jews, and serves customers every 2 minutes. They line up about 2 dozen victims, and they have to listen to the intimate details of their impending fate (Jews are locked up within earshot and later marvel at not being the only victim class).

 

And I question if extreme head trauma is so fleetingly felt. I regretfully saw film of Mussolini's botched firing squad for son-in-law Ciano and other VIPs. Ciano's few seconds of reaction to a drastic head wound can be read because unlike the blade victims his arms were still attached. They make the strongest expression of infinite pain I hope I will ever see, and had to be consious because the hands approach the fatal wound. Also in the frame are a more on-target exploding skull, and a complete miss (with followup since the idiot didn't play dead).

 

So I think a quick death can be a false blessing, especially if with a long anticipation. The Jewish author reports a huge number of deaths reported as "shot while trying to escape". Even though this is often 85 yr olds on crutches, it may be more merciful because they would kind of surprise them and trick them into crossing a chalk line that substituted for a camp fence. This is a camp within Germany, where they had so far hidden tales of intentional executions.

 

Maybe the most merciful was what the author was trying most to prevent. The Dresden Jewish cemetary had tons of husbands and wives with the same day of death... these were not executions but suicides by barbituates. The author kept talking folks out of this when they faced an impending worse horror, even when he thought he probably shouldn't. Apparently the gestapo made a fairly tolerable barbituate widely available because they were trying to avoid publicity of Jewish killings (but maximize the publicity of punishing disloyal gentiles as a lesson).

Edited July 8, 2014 by caesar novus

[Viggen]

...i just found a stunning early example of christian symbol used for a ring...

 

pre Constantine and that in Roman Britain...!!!

 

 

“The form of the ring and the shape of the stone seem to indicate a 3rd century date,” says Dr David Petts, who is co-ordinating a project which has entered a fifth week in its sixth year of investigations.  “This is a surprisingly early date for a Christian object in Britain, as it predates the accession of Constantine in York in AD306.  “The intaglio shows two fish hanging from an anchor. This has clear Christian connotations.

[cinzia8]

Viggen:

 

This is fabulous.  What was the metal used? I'm wondering about the stone, too.

 

Cinzia

[Viggen]

...here the link with more information

http://popular-archaeology.com/issue/06052014/article/pompeii-of-the-north-revealed-by-archaeologists

 

regarding what metal was used, maybe try the Twitter account of the archaeological site? Its usually a great way to get into touch...

https://twitter.com/RomanBinchester

[cinzia8]

Thanks. I'm following now.  

 

Cinzia