Roman gold earrings, c.100-400 AD
Roman women wore a lot of jewellery. Their clothes changed very little so they relied on jewellery and hairstyles to look different from other women. The richer you were the more fancy jewellery you wore. Brooches, necklaces and bracelets were all popular as well as ear-rings like these.
These solid gold ear rings were all found to the east of York. The Romans started the city of York making it a major settlement. They called it Eboracum.
These gold ear-rings were found at Sutton-on-Derwent and Barmby Moor, near Pocklington to the east of York. They date from between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. One has a green glass stone and another fine, granular decoration. The third is a simple hoop style. They were bought by Hull Museums with money from the donation boxes.
Roman woman of all social classes wore jewellery and brightly coloured items were especially popular.
The famous Roman writer Livy wrote in 195 BC that: â[â¦] elegance, finery, and beautiful clothes are women's badges, in these they find joy and take prideâ.
He was referring to arguments against the Oppian Law. The Oppian Law was a wartime measure which restricted the finery that Roman women could wear. It caused the first recorded demonstration by women. Aristocratic Roman women took to the streets in 195 BC to call for an end to the law. They were successful and the law was repealed.
Fashionable upper-class women wore large amounts of jewellery, including ear-rings and friendship rings. Gold bracelets in the form of coiling snakes were popular.
