4th century CE Roman amber pins, found in 2020 at the feet of an individual who was buried in a large sarcophagus at a necropolis in the French city of Autun.
These are stunning pins, crafted with exquisite attention to detail and symmetry…but what’s even more clever about them is the material they are made out of.
Amber is ever so slightly “sticky” as a surface (which makes sense, since it’s age-hardened sap / resin). It can be polished until it’s virtuall glass-smooth, but when tucked into hair, or into the fibers of a woven garment, it will have just a tiny bit more friction, causing them to have that much more of a chance to remain in place. As a material for securing things, they are slightly better than metal and bone, if not quite as good as wood (which has a great deal of microscopic texture for hair, etc, to catch on and cling to).
Most forms of amber are very clouded from inclusions when it was still sap, and fractal from the pressures it underwent as it hardened over the aeons. To be able to find pieces as large and clear as these are makes them all the more rare. Unlike metal or bone (and somewhat like wood) these pins would feel warmer to the touch, and be more comfortable and comforting for the owner, while being less fragile than wood. And lastly, amber does have a faint scent as it warms up, making them a natural perfume source.
These are not cheap throwaway objects, folks. These are indeed treasured posessions, just as much for their functionality & multi-use offerings as for their rarity and beauty.
