Ancient Eastern Style
The simplest circular earrings with thickened ends are attributed to XIII-XII BC. These earrings are made in the ancient eastern style; they were very popular and kept their popularity up to the present times.

Like earring from Dir-El-Balach. (Similar items: Beth-Shamash, #18. Jewelry from the Ancient world, Jerusalem, 1969; Higgins R. Greek and Roman jewelry, London, 1961)  Based on its weight and diameter, we can identify some as a nose ring. This type was used as a good luck charm. (Similar items: #18, catalogue, Jerusalem, 1969)

The simple-style earrings- as a ring, can be dated precisely by using radioisotope analysis, especially consider the items’ popularity. Earrings of that type are well-known from the images of the Achaemenian era  (guards of Persepolis wore a single earring similar to the one in our collection; today youths and young men prefer this type as well).  Earrings of this type were produced by casting method followed by polishing.
 

It is necessary to note that the even earrings intended as pairs can differ by weight because of the degree of preservation.  The weight is a very important issue of our items because some of them were used as an equivalent of money. A unified weight scale may have existed, and some jewelry items were specifically produced as a money equivalent. This tradition was widespread in ancient world. A detailed description can be found in Tanah.

Egyptian style earrings may be attributed to the same era, i.e., XIII-XII centuries BC. These types of earrings have vessel-shaped pendants. It is possible that these earrings are made by adding the pendant to the traditional ring-shaped earring (which could be worn on its own). The vessel-shaped pendant is similar to the necklace pendants .So,  the earrings could be a part of an ensemble.

Stemmed vessel–shaped pendants from Dir –El-Balach demonstrate that the ring in the shape of a woven chain can be an independent earring by itself. Most of similar items are found among articles of the Beth-Shemesh treasure, so the earlier attribution (XIII-XII BC.) is accurate. The earrings are made in the same style as cornelian necklaces. The pendants are the exact copy of each other, although different materials are used. The lock is similar to the ones found in Rhodes in VII BC, for example, pomegranate pendants (Grienfanhagen A.Schmuck der alten welt, Berlin, 1974, p.20).

The shape of the pendant (“vessel on a stem”) can be found, for example, in necklaces made in the New Kingdom in XVI-XII BC. (Objects of Adornments, N.Y., 1984, cat. #9).

Another type of ancient earring is distinguished not only by its extraordinary shape, heavy-drop-shaped or stylized grape cluster, but also by its weight. Among similar items are articles of XII BC (“Greek and Roman Jewelry,” Higgins R., London, 1961, cat. #12), as well among the late Greco-Roman articles (Goldschmuck der Romerzeit, Mainz, 1984, col.ill.) However, those are not identical.

Earrings with zoomorphic ends are made in a different Eastern-Hellenistic style. One of them has an amphora-shaped pendant. One is gold, the other is bronze. The earrings are based on a simple hoop.

Pair of cast earrings with heads of gazelles. (3.5 gr and 3.7 gr.) II B.C. – I A.D. Bronze.

Similar items: Bactrian gold (Leningrad, 1985)-armlets with lions’ heads from the 6th burial (#15), though sources go back to the Achaemenian Art (Dalton O. Treasure of the Oxus. London, 1964). More precisely, that phenomenon could be named as Greco-Persian zoomorphic style. The primary attribution of the earrings as the articles of the Roman period is rather vague chronologically but by the similarity with jewelry from Tillya-Tepe we can establish more accurate dates:”…a political situation was created uniquely favorable to a fusion of all these cultures into one- the Greco-Persian, where Greek and Persian influences could be reciprocal”..(Jewelry from the Ancient world, Jerusalem, 1969)

  “.. this is the most popular earring type of this and subsequent Hellenistic period, the hoop earring with animal head finial, mainly heads of lions, goats and bovines, but also of sphinxes, horned lions and other imaginary beasts. The type seems to have begun in the 5th BCE, reaches its came in the Hellenistic period and dies out in Roman imperial times. The type is found in the various lands of the Persian Empire, including our region...” (Jewelry... Jerusalem, 1969)

Similar items also are among articles from Western Greece IV-V BC, Taman III-II BC (A. Greifenhagen, Schmuck.., p.38) and the ones made in III-II centuries BC from Roman-Germany Museum (see Goldschmuck der Romerzeit, Mainz, 1984, abb.14).

These earrings were supposed to be worn in a peculiar manner. When putting them on and hooking them up, the head of an animal is placed by the edges of ear as if protecting its opening like animal heads placed on a hand of  a vessel that hold the edge of the vessel in their mouths (Stavisky, B. Central Asian Art-Art of Middle Asia, M.1974, ill,7; 50). This allows us to assume that the animals’ heads were intended to protect openings from evil spirits, especially in such important organs as ears.

Hellenistic style for example can contain an amphora-shaped pendant, which serves as a symbol of Greece. Similar items can be found among earrings dated II BC (see Schmuck der Alten welt.) A drop-shaped garnet is mounted in the top part of the earring; granulation is placed along the edges. This detail, later altered, can be found in the earrings made in the XIX-XX centuries, where, instead of precious stone- for example, garnet - cut glass and cornelian stones would be used (Sichova N., Jewelry of people from Central Asia and Kazakhstan-Yuvelirnoe iskusstvo narodov Srednei Azii i Kazahstana, Moscow, 1984, ill. #25). Amphora-shaped pendants with dolphin-shaped handles are widespread in the Hellenistic world in I-II AD, particularly on the territory of Central Asia (Ancient Finds of Tajikistan, Drevnosti Tajikistana, Dushanbe, 1985, cat.270-271; 273-274).