Europe's Earliest Crowns

[@gammamaster1894]

A new Antiquary video is always a pleasure!

[@jcortese3300]

I always feel a bit bittersweet about buried hoards. I imagine someone in a panic burying the stuff -- coins, jewelry, etc. -- and thinking, "I'll get back in a few days," or something. Then, it's discovered a thousand years later. 😕

[@excession3076]

I think It could also be as a last act of defiance. You know you are finished but at least the bugger who's going to kill you isn't getting your treasure. Either way, I'm very grateful they did. We would have very few objects that survived had they not been buried.

[@Bpaynee]

​@@excession3076 thanks for this reframing. It actually does help a bit

[@virtem7686]

there are buried hoards that aren't buried treasure and instead buried offerings, where richman or chieftans buried expensive stuff compare with the amerindians on the northwest coast that yeeted copper ingot to the sea like wealth flexs

[@jimjam6598]

Yessss another one🙏 thanks Allan

[@davidpescod7573]

A fascinating video. Many thanks Allan Barton. Good to have you back!

[@rhiannonpoole6019]

Votive crowns, another rabbit hole I need to dive down now....thank you again for a fascinating and beautifully presented video. The glow of those sapphires make my mouth water.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

It is worth noting that the Byzantine Empire under Justinian briefly controlled the southern Iberian coast from Cartagena in the East to Faro in the West in the 6th century, so there was direct if somewhat bellicose contact between the Visigothic kingdom and Byzantium.

[@juniorjames7076]

Did Iconoclasm influence early medieval Spain?

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

@@juniorjames7076 Byzantine rule in Spain was too early.

[@mihaiilie8808]

​@@forthrightgambitia1032Do you realise come from Romania and they were neighbours with the Byzantine empire? They are similar to the byzantines except their religion was different. But the visigothic church songs, dressing and icons were all identical to the byzantines.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

@@mihaiilie8808 But the crucial point where they developed regal rituals and iconography was in Spain.

[@mihaiilie8808]

@@forthrightgambitia1032 No, they allready had those in Romania. Bizantine influence. What you got in Spain and France is a colony of dacian visigoths. They even kept their native language, occitan.

[@angelahanley2641]

Hello from Las Vegas, Nevada on this my 42nd Birthday. I was so thrilled to see a new video on my birthday. You always do such a great job Alan. Your videos are so fascinating. I love history. Please keep up the great work.

[@allanbarton]

Many happy returns for your birthday Angela! Have a lovely day.

[@angelahanley2641]

Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

[@gonefishing167]

Happy birthday to you. Have a lovely day. It’s my friends 90th birthday here in Australia. 🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@nickmoser7785]

Happy Birthday Angela from fernley Nevada

[@Marjorie-yt7pb]

❤gorgeous !! Thanks for yr efforts !!🎉

[@jenniferstone2975]

The expertise of the goldsmiths who made these beautiful creations is truly outstanding. Truly impressive! Another excellent presentation, Allan. Thank you!

[@allanbarton]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robertl6196]

Excellent.

[@elizabethborson1739]

Gorgeous crowns! ❤❤❤

[@EarlyMusicDiva]

Those sapphires are stunning!!! And the filigree work is exquisite! People nowadays have been led to think that the first millennium AD was a crude and barbaric time, colourless and primitive, but these crowns are spectacular.

[@M.Datura]

We like to think ourselves smarter, as it seems has most people throughout history, when in reality, the difference only lies in available knowledge, technology and social/structural development. Bet there was someone making these who thought that at some previous point in history, their craft must've seemed magic. (An idea I like. Humans keep being human.)

[@sixeses]

Thanks Allan

[@1234j]

Most interesting. Thank you.

[@colleenuchiyama4916]

The piercing work on the first crown is astounding! Thank you for sharing with us!

[@allanbarton]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@NinaHansen2008]

Most impressive! Thank you for posting this.

[@atherdain4913]

Love your Vids! Keep up the good work!

[@anaesturoelejaldeperso]

Watching you from Spain. A great video about the history and origins of the visigothics votives crowns. I loved it. Thanks for this video . ❤❤❤❤

[@mariacavanaugh1010]

I visited the museum in Madrid in 2019 and saw the collection. Always wondered how these "crowns" were used. Excellent video, thank you for the information.

[@lorettavanhaasteren2776]

Very informative and well presented! Thanks! 👑👸🤴

[@pbdelmoral]

Congratulations from Spain!

[@tomlindsay4629]

Great video, completely new to me information. Thanks for posting!

[@allanbarton]

Glad you appreciated it!

[@ChrisHunt4497]

I love the idea of hanging the crowns. It seems very modern. What beautiful designs and jewels. ❣❣❣

[@GJP1169]

I wish I could find a couple of crowns in my backyard

[@allanbarton]

Me too, no such luck yet!

[@blueprairiedog]

I can only find them in my mouth. And no jewels!

[@maryloumawson6006]

I wonder if the gift of a crown such as these was a sign that the recipient church would enjoy special royal favor and was a visual sign that the monarch conceded that his power and authority came exclusively from God? It would be therefore a tangible gift of a physical thing, but also a declaration of devotion and favor, as well as a sign to the congregation that their King was chosen by God and ruled them through Him. After all, an expensive gift could have taken many forms, such as a chalice, an icon, statue or baptismal font etc. But the gift of a 'crown' seems to carry special significance for the viewer.

[@jilltagmorris]

Thank you yet again! Your channel is the best on you tube! ❤😊

[@stepps511]

Most interesting, Allan. I'd noticed these in photos, and depictons, but did not know they were "crowns", and wondered at their meaning. Now, thanks to you, I know. You are the BEST!

[@deznat]

I am so happy to see content from you again. Thank you for all that you do!

[@Val-ng9tn]

Delightful

[@jamesallison4875]

You open up a new world for me with every lecture. Brilliant!

[@allanbarton]

It is my great pleasure, thank you.

[@GarfieldRex]

Idea for video, as these votives crowns are great works of goldsmith, the Custodies or Monstrances for the Holy Communion are as well. Here in Colombia we have some great, but overall the one called the Lettuce (due to lots of emeralds), the Clarissa (Clarissas nuns order) and Bordadita (looks worked fabric).

[@timhazeltine3256]

Thank you for the brilliant presentation

[@TerryC69]

Hi Allan! Very lovely examples of craftmanship.

[@WolfgangZenker-e5s]

These crowns remind me a lot of the crown found in the grave of Constance of Aragon in Palermo, which I suspect to be much younger as Constance died in 1222.

[@gonefishing167]

Just wonderful. What craftsmanship. So very sad when things go ‘missing’ in war. 🙏🙏🙏🙏👵🇦🇺

[@Romalvx]

What an interesting topic. I would like to refer the « Monza Crown » which is identical to the one you have explained; the Monza is believed to be the diadema (band shaped crown) of Queen Teodolinda, from the Longobard rulers of Lombardy, the region of Milan. The legend maintains that the inner iron band holding was made from melting one of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion nail. A bit horrific particular, but a great legend to tell!

[@melaniehylok5670]

Allan you’re back! What a beautiful video. Thank you

[@EldhjaertaZ]

This was fascinating! It really helps to illuminate the significant material differences between large basilicas (recall that the word stems from the Greek verb to rule as king) like the Hagia Sofia and less liturgically bedazzled rural churches. Thanks!

[@Chris-fh2cl]

Great video!

[@dianespears6057]

Beautiful. Thank you.

[@pixbychris3182]

Fascinating. Must say Aya Sophia is one of the most amazing places I have been to.

[@AmyEugene]

I don't know how to spell the name, but I saw that crown at 1:00 min into the video at a visiting exhibition in Germany many years ago. It is absolutely stunning in person. We sort of just stumbled on the exhibit at a palace when we were traveling, so I had no idea that such crowns existed or their history. There was at least one other crown on display, but this one really stood out as the most ornate and most complete. The fine detail work is really amazing and I imagine the jewels used were worth at least a couple kings' ransom at the time. We owe a debt to the person or people who hid this treasure so well!

[@nancytestani1470]

Beautiful, stunning. So glad there is something beautiful to look at from such a long time ago.

[@MSjackiesaunders]

Try some of the cell work of the Egyptians and the Vikings. Amazing work.

[@franciscolomeli8931]

really intrestimg video I had no idea crowns like this existed and their use of them.

[@christinesuccop1812]

Wow never knew about these crowns. Thanks so much❤👑

[@annettewillis2797]

Very good to have a new and intriguing slice of Byzantine history. Always fascinating Allan. Thanks so much!

[@mcnorrieable]

This was incredible

[@BeeNotDismayed]

Words fail. And my heart is fluttering! 🤩

[@carolescutt2257]

Yay up upload to be indulged on a Sunday night with a hot chocolate and s bag of Maltesers bravo Dr Barton xx

[@allanbarton]

Glad you enjoyed it 😊

[@nadiabrook7871]

Another EXCELLENT video!! 💞💕👏💖❤💙👍👑

[@sjwilloughby-greene8214]

Always a pleasure to see and learn of such grand history. Thank you for sharing. 🌿♥️♥️♥️🌿

[@allanbarton]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@HighWealder]

Very interesting

[@Maltravers2011]

Geat lampshades 😅

[@allanbarton]

😂😂😂

[@calumbaxter9946]

I thought exactly the same thing! Particularly the gold plated one in Paris which is an exact copy of my parent’s 1950’s Orrefors glass lampshade 😂

[@marthavanbeek-putters]

So beautiful!! Martha

[@StonedtotheBones13]

I wonder if we still have remnants of this today? I vaguely remember v pretty candle holders hung from the ceiling, but the illustrated book with the tiny crowns looks so familiar in a way

[@GrumpyOldTroll]

You might be thinking of one of two things which are hung above the altar and can be quite elaborate: - an altar lamp, which is lit if the consecrated Eucharist is present in the tabernacle; - a hanging pyx, which is _itself_ a hanging tabernacle. The former is in every church, the latter only in a handful of churches whose design or furnishing was inspired by the Gothic revival.

[@esmeraldagreen1992]

They look like chandeliers

[@Feltcutemightchangelater]

Imagine actually wearing one of these on your head. It would be like wearing those beaded door curtains from the 60s.

[@sillystephys7123]

I was wondering if they had cloth lined in the middle

[@jimjimsauce]

learned the word “pendillia” (sp?) today and while i’m proud to know it i’ll realistically probably use it once in natural conversation for the rest of my life

[@juniorjames7076]

wonderful.

[@barrymoore4470]

I had some awareness of the votive crowns associated with the Visigothic kings in Iberia, and had assumed they were illustrative of idioms of Germanic origin, so it was enlightening to learn of their dependence on Late Antique Roman antecedents.

[@allanbarton]

Glad you found this interesting and informative!

[@mihaiilie8808]

The visigoths are just sounth romanians, dacians and thracian ( wich are the oldest celts). So celts not germanics but they became christian missionaries to the germanics.

[@barrymoore4470]

@@mihaiilie8808 The Goths of both main branches (Ostrogoths and Visigoths) are well attested as Germanic peoples. Their ancestral language, Gothic, is the earliest attested Germanic language, being the chief representative of the now extinct East Germanic branch of the Indo-European linguistic family. They were nomadic in their earlier history, generally moving from east to west across Europe, and doubtlessly mixed with and absorbed other people (surely including some of Celtic origin), but ethnolinguistically they are defined as Germanic.

[@mihaiilie8808]

@@barrymoore4470 Do you realise i am the visigoth from Buzau, the capital of the first mentioned visigoths? They are dacians as Iordanes says and dacians, especially the south visigoths, the getae, are celtic coulture non germanic. Look up Athanaric treasure from my city. They grew vineyards wich is not germanic coulture, they had torcs and even the wings on their helmets, are celtic like the gauls. The visigoths didnt spoke germanic but they brought Ulfillas, also a non germanic, to write the first known literature of the germanics. Ulfillas bible, most likely written in my city( its not sure exactly where he wrote it but somewhere around my city). The visigoths are the celts that were christian( arian) missionaries to the germanics. They were dacian and celts. Thats why you have the Daikones tribe in Gotland, the Getsi and thats why they named Sweden, Denmark and Finland, Dacia 😂

[@mihaiilie8808]

@@barrymoore4470 Ostrogoths are the dacians that were conquered by Atilla( hungarians) and also non germanic. Even the names tell you they were celts and not germanic. Names ending in ric, Athanaric, Alaric, are celt like the gauls names ending in rix, Asterix, Obelix. 😂 The wings in their helmet are also like the gauls, celtic. These celts spoke vulgar latin. What gets you in error is that in Romania we dont claim the visigoths. We say,, those were some migratory savages from far away,, but every italian and greek knows it was us. Its because they destroyed the Roman empire and their religion was heretic, we dont like them. But the visigoths are 100% dacian, valachian, romanian. Even their songs, crowns and icons are like ours, Bizantine like. Back then the germanics were soo savage as you can see on Trojan columns. They were in the stone age and the celt visigoths teached them how to write and read.

[@The3Kosmos3]

A crowining episode😀

[@allanbarton]

😂

[@hc1897]

Lovely video! Devout (and rich) people make exquisite objects to venerate God. Then over time these objects are bought, sold, gifted, taken, hidden, looted, buried, unearthed, treasured, stolen, displayed, transported, remembered, forgotten, dismantled, lost, recovered, blessed, cursed, damaged, repaired, scattered, collected, studied, ignored ... all to remind us that God is God and objects, no matter how valuable how beautiful, are just objects.

[@Traderjoe]

Isn’t it interesting that whenever people get to any level of importance, they invariably use some kind of over the top (pun) head adornment? Whether it’s kings or bishops or other positions of power. Always some kind of thing to make the head seem to radiate with shiny bits.

[@blueprairiedog]

If you're a big deal, you want people to know it.

[@MSjackiesaunders]

​@@blueprairiedog😂😂😂

[@ludovica8221]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@biaotoch]

yea i’m definitely obsessed with history

[@DragonsAndDragons777]

I love Europe

[@kidmohair8151]

there that city is again. Constantinople/Istanbul is endlessly fascinating. to me.

[@Shoshana-xh6hc]

Beautiful! Imagine the crowns glinting and gleaming in the light of thousands of candles and clouds of incense…

[@allanbarton]

That’s a wonderful image!

[@francisnopantses1108]

The pendilia are interesting. Could there be any connection to the hanging pearls or beads that early medieval Chinese emperors wore hanging from their crowns? In that case they have a bit of a meaning of taboo. The emperor is otherworldly and cannot move his body or the pearls would shake and clack. The earlier Roman emperors affected laurels but later, sun rays, eventually resulting in the medieval European crown. As the earliest ones in the post Western Empire period have pendilia, is this actually invented because of the votive crowns or was it a fashion brought in from the East? There was a Greek kingdom in India and India and China had had steady relations during the period of Classical antiquity but I don't know anything about Indian kings having headgear like this.

[@eedwardgrey2]

6:17 kinda like seeing your expensive gift at the thrift store I guess

[@edwin_music5213]

Which would you say was the greatest coronation we’ve done? How would you compare the late Queens one to George VI?

[@allanbarton]

Without question the 1953 coronation. Perfectly choreographed, the ceremonial splendid and elements lost restore. The full pomp. Previous coronations were a bit chaotic.

[@edwin_music5213]

@@allanbarton I must admit I’d love to have seen George IV’s one though 😂

[@edwin_music5213]

I’d love to see them restore George IVs coronation crown. Even if it is just with paste stones

[@allanbarton]

@@edwin_music5213 with him huffing and puffing and sweating! It would have been splendid and ridiculous in equal measure!

[@patavinity1262]

Why is 'pendilia' a 'complicated, fancy word'?

[@allanbarton]

It isn’t, particularly, I just try to be a little light-hearted in my videos.

[@timhazeltine3256]

Likely because many people would likely think it refers to some obscure body part or organ

[@galloe8933]

3:30 At first glance the middle crown has the letter H, and it looks like a gaudy happy birthday crown.

[@MrKlemczak]

What is the painting at 4:00?

[@alethiaeden]

Conversion of Reccared to Catholicism at the Council III of Toledo

[@diakritika]

Interesting. Is that the origin of the hanging chandelier in churches?

[@thomasbell7033]

Ahem, yes, our Visigothic granperes not famous for their subtle taste in headgear, no?

[@Pocketfarmer1]

So were the pendillia like the corks aussies hang from their hats with sting to keep flies away?

[@allanbarton]

😂😂😂

[@helenvanpatterson-patton]

Would they fit a head, or are they larger than human heads?

[@ferreus]

The King of Kings is still made present on the altar.

[@allanbarton]

Indeed.

[@chazhoosier2478]

The offering of crowns to God is found in the Book of Revelation chapter 4: "The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.'"

[@EthanBSide]

Commenting for algorithm

[@MSjackiesaunders]

Could these votive crowns have been the early version of the large stained glass windows donated by the wealthy in honor of the kings they represent? Of course, I mean the smaller ones that could not be worn. I lived in Europe as a child, and remember the large stained glass windows of the great cathedrals. The church records usually had a plaque beside them saying who donated them and the year.

[@ricardollorente]

Most of the crowns that were found in Guarrazar were actually melted soon after they were discovered by the jewelers of the city of Toledo, not stolen during the Civil War.

[@allanbarton]

Evidence?

[@ricardollorente]

​@@allanbarton It is a well known fact, not just to the expert, but also to the mere aficionado. Anyway, there you are: “Cierto es, y cada día más doloroso, que el poco ilustrado o avaro crisol de los modernos plateros toledanos ha devorado imponderables maravillas de la orfebrería, cultivada durante la monarquía visigoda en la egregia ciudad de los concilios” (José Amador de los Ríos: El arte latino-bizantino en España y las coronas visigodas de Guarrazar. 1861). “M. Du Sommerard stated to Mr. Way that, shortly before the Discovery of the crowns now at the Hôtel de Cluny, not les than fourteen others had been found at the same spot at Guarrazar. They had been taken to the mint at Madrid, as he had ascertained, and had been melted. These, as he believed, were of the same type as three already described […]. All these, according to the report of persons who saw them, were found by these peasants; great part were sold piecemeal to the goldsmiths of Toledo and melted down” (The Archaeological Journal, Proceedings at Meetings of the Archaeological Institute. 1861). “No sólo constaba de las joyas depositadas en el museo de las Termas, en Francia, y de las adquiridas después por S. M. la reina, sino que iban acompañadas de otras varias que han perecido en el crisol de ignorantes o codiciosos plateros.” (Víctor Gebhardt: Historia general de España y de sus Indias. 1864). “D'après les rapports recueillis sur la première découverte, qui eut lieu, comme on sait, en 1858, il parait que quatorze couronnes d'or auraient été trouvées dans le même lieu. Nous en possédions huit; les autres, plus ou moins endommagées, ont été fondues à la Monnaie en Espagne.” (Prosper Mérimée: Études sur les arts au moyen âge. 1875). “No less than eleven votive crowns, some of extraordinary magnificence; two crosses with inscriptions, and a large number of fragments of all kinds, of gold and precious stones, were found at Guarrazar. Unfortunately a great part of the treasure has been lost, for the labourers, who were the first to find it, sold several objects to the silversmiths at Toledo, who melted and destroyed specimens of the highest artistic interest.” (Juan Facundo Riaño: The Industrial Arts in Spain. 1879). “No fue tan oculto el descubrimiento que no vinieran otros a rebuscar tesoros, destrozando cuanto hallaron, y fue lo peor que los plateros de Toledo, con punible ignorancia y grosera codicia, fundieron multitud de objetos que los labriegos iban llevando a sus talleres.” (José María Quadrado y Vicente de la Fuente: España, sus monumentos y artes, su naturaleza e historia. 1886). “Tenemos la certeza de que, una vez realizado el hallazgo, muchas de las joyas fueron fragmentadas para ser fundidas en los talleres de los joyeros toledanos que compraron parte del tesoro.” (Alicia Perea: El tesoro visigótico de Guarrazar. 2001). “Il tesoro di Guarrazar venne scoperto fortuitamente nel 1858, in alcuni terreni della Huerta di Guarrazar (in Guadamur, a circa 11 chilometri a sud-est di Toledo). Le corone e le croci trovate furono viste e comprate da un ufficiale francese in pensione e residente in Spagna, Adolphe Herouart. Le quattordici corone che si ritrovarono furono fuse, ma nuovi scavi fecero venire allá luce altre otto corone votive e sei croci da appendere, tutte in oro e con incassi di pietre preziose.” (Cristina La Rocca, ‎Sauro Gelichi, ‎Autori Vari: Tesori: Forme di accumulazione della ricchezza nell’alto medioevo (secoli V-XI). 2011). “Tras su hallazgo fortuito en 1858, algunas piezas fueron vendidas a plateros toledanos y posteriormente fundidas. Otras, pasaron a Francia (aunque una parte fue devuelta tras un acuerdo franco-hispano en 1941).” (Marisa Barahona Oviedo: Tesoro de Guarrazar: la alianza del poder religioso y el poder real. Museo Arqueológico Nacional de Madrid, 2016). “The Amoury and the Cluny Museum probably contain only a half of the treasure of Guarrazar. As we have seen, much of it was broken up and melted down by the goldsmiths of Toledo. It is said that it comprised a beautiful golden Dove, which came into the possession of a jeweller, who had so many qualms of conscience concerning it, that he at last took the drastic course of throwing it into the Tagus.” (Albert Frederick Calvert: Spanish Arms and Armour. 2018). “It is usually suggested that the pieces were buried to hide them from the Muslim conquerors of Spain, who arrived from North Africa in 711. Much of the treasure was sold and melted down in the nineteenth century; surviving objects include ten crowns, nine crosses, sixteen pendants, and various chains and other pieces.” (Deborah Deliyannis, Hendrik Dey, Paolo Squatriti: Fifty Early Medieval Things: Materials of Culture in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. 2019). “La historia del tesoro fue bastante procelosa, pues las catorce coronas halladas en primer lugar fueron fundidas, víctimas de la codicia de los que las encontraron, y otras piezas se vendieron al museo de Cluny de arte medieval, de París.” (Jon Juaristi: El canon español: el legado de la cultura española a la civilización. 2022).

[@KyIeMcCIeIIan]

There's a crown out there stuffed with mismatched jewels and gemstones and it exclusively features a lack of symmetry throughout. I always thought it was the ugliest thing until I was told that it was an entire type of style in it's day. It's different when everyone else is wearing stuff that's just as ugly.

[@jldisme]

👑

[@kellyburgess671]

💙

[@robertstewart614]

Thank you for not saying C.E.

[@allanbarton]

I’m not a secularist, it would stick in my throat particularly in the context of talking about the Christian west.

[@TommiLipponen]

I wonder where emeralds came in those days. Afghanistan maybe?

[@MSjackiesaunders]

As an amateur gemologist, I can give you some partial explanations. In medieval times, any green stone was likely called emerald. It wasn't until the late 19th and early 20th century that they were sorted by actual crystal structure and chemical makeup. The Black Prince's Ruby in the British crown is not ruby but spinel. Nowadays, we divide these stones by chemicals contained, crystalline structure, and refraction. Then, almost all blue stones were sapphires (not the least because most of them actually were sapphires), all red stones were rubies, and all green stones were emeralds. There are a multitude of sites in Africa that produce emeralds, some of which have been dated as far back as the 9th century. What is now known as Zambia still produces excellent emeralds. Emeralds have also been discovered at various sites in the Middle East and Asia, all of which had trade with the Byzantine Empire. The spice and silk roads carried far more than spices and silk! Other green gems misidentified are peridots. A particularly fine peridot source is an island right off the coast of Egypt. In fact, many geologists/gemologists have theorized that Cleopatra's "emeralds" were likely to have been peridots. As far as I have been able to find out from my books, there has never been a commercial source of emeralds or sapphires in Afghanistan. It is the source of lapis lazuli, another blue stone, and turquoise. I hope that "explains" why misidentification of stones was so rampant.

[@TommiLipponen]

@@MSjackiesaunders Thank you for this complete answer. That naming explains a lot and I had no idea that there are emeralds all over the world. But still want to point out that indeed there are high quality emeralds in Afghanistan en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjshir_Valley.

[@MSjackiesaunders]

@@TommiLipponen That mine is not a "commercially viable" mine, from my reading, and I don't think was worked consistently in the Byzantine era. Many sites yield very few gem-quality stones. Gems are found all around the world, even in Antarctica. But finding a site that is commercially viable is rare. From chemical analysis, gemologists can trace the origin of different stones due to traces of minerals specific to that location. I don't know where these particular emeralds came from, but I'm willing to bet that they most likely were from India/Pakistan and not all from the same mine, either. Many things from that region in Pliny's time came across many countries and through ports along the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. Tracing their true origin at that time was difficult. While there have been some wonderful emeralds found there, sustained mining would have been difficult at that time. Typical, a mine will be worked until the source "dries" up. Many do not produce gem-quality stones, in particular diamonds. The Columbian mines are drying up as fewer and fewer substantial gem quality stones are found, especially of good size. The most consistent source today are the Zambian mines, although the crystals found there are a bit smaller and lighter in hue than Columbian.

[@MSjackiesaunders]

@@TommiLipponen I also remembered one other quirk of gemology; many forms of jadeite are extremely translucent and could be mistaken for emeralds, as well. Since jadeite is softer than emerald, it became easy to detect the difference earlier. The really interesting thing about emeralds is that they are surprisingly difficult to cut. Because of their structure, they tend to fracture very easily. That is why a lot of more modern jewelry with emeralds use cabochon stones (unfaceted) or the "emerald" cut faceted stones and are also set in bezels to protect their edges from being chipped. And also why stones of over 2 carats with good color are very expensive!

[@MSjackiesaunders]

@TommiLipponen I have been doing some research on emeralds in Afghanistan. You mentioned the Panjshir Valley in your comment. That source is fairly new in discovery. It very well may turn into a commercially viable source if they can overcome three main problems: • Mining in those mountains is very difficult. • Transportation. There are few roads and no trains to carry the ore to any processing. • The Taliban. There is still a lot of fighting in Afghanistan, and what infrastructure that was there has been severely damaged. Before the Taliban took over, Afghanistan was modernizing and actively seeking new resources. While they are still seeking, they are not doing much development. Yes, some beautiful stones were located there, but the Taliban does not have the technology to develop the site. Most of the people who had the technology have fled to other countries. If (or when) the Taliban is overthrown, that site could be very viable once the infrastructure is in place.

[@frazzledhaloz3184]

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[@rosskourtis9602]

I hate the Fourth Crusade!!!!!!!

[@TheAurelianProject]

Seeing letters on a crown looks so tacky

[@Theodisc]

They kind of look hideous and gaudy, to be honest, like they should be hanging in some Athenian's taxi, lol. I'm not trolling, and as usual Allan is showing us something in his uploads that I learn about, but the main thing I learnt about these is that they are set on high bling. ✨

[@monicacall7532]

Could these crowns have been a form of virtue signaling?

[@barrymoore4470]

They may well have been offered to gain merit or perform penance. They definitely would have been understood as venerable objects.

[@jongoldman9279]

Such stunning beauty and craftsmanship make the Dark Ages seem much less dark.

[@allanbarton]

I always think ‘dark ages’ is a bit of a misnomer anyway. Glad you enjoyed this!

[@MrSludov]

The Muslim kingdom of Toledo was reconquered in 1086, so the territory from where this regalia originaly came from, returned to be christian not "late in the middle ages", but, on the contrary, quite early in that period. To give you an idea of this, it was just 20 years later the norman conquest of England. The "Reconquista" longed 8 centuries, but the dominance of christian kingdoms over the Muslim kingdoms of Iberia dates of XI th century, and it was almost complete in 1212 in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, with the exception of the Kingdom of Granada. The myth of Muslims ruling over Iberia for 800 is just that, a quite poetical and profoundly untrue myth....

[@allanbarton]

I am by no means on expert on medieval Spain - so I am interested to read this.

[@MrsBlues100]

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[@Jo_Lori]

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[@dorothysutton5162]

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[@jldrake3424]

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