Ivory and Bone Objects

Hairnets were worn by married Jewish women. They are a rare find because they are not usually preserved; however, four dyed woolen nets were found at Masada, preserved by the region’s arid climate…

Combs could be made of both ivory and wood and could be elegantly decorated. Egyptian, Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman combs often have two rows of teeth, with the teeth on each side being of a…

Mirrors were used by the ancient Egyptians as early as 3000 BCE and by almost all known cultures by 2000 BCE. By the turn of the era, silver mirrors were in fact so widespread that Pliny the Elder…

Most people in antiquity wore sandals made of untreated leather, dry grass, or linen. The sandals were secured with strings or ropes made from organic materials. Sometimes sandals could be decorated…

In this image, a fresco panel from the synagogue at Dura-Europos, in modern-day Syria, one can see Samuel anointing David, surrounded by his brothers. Samuel is wearing a tunic known as an angusticlav…

Jewelry in the Roman period was characterized by the use of colored gemstones, pearls, and glass and by intricate metal designs. Rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, brooches, pendants, diadems, and…