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How Did Gold Become Desired by Ancient Civilizations

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==Introduction==
Gold is first known to have been acquired by ancient human societies in the 4th millennium BC, a time when copper and metals were beginning to be utilized more frequently. This suggests this is a period when pyrotechnologies improved, allowing metals to be developed more substantially. In fact, when gold appears in the New World, it also appears to be associated with the early development of pyrotechnologies, suggesting gold develops early as metallurgy developed. This likely also means gold, and its luster properties, were desired early on by societies able to master pyrotechnologies to extract and create gold artifacts.
==Early Use __NOTOC__[[File:Sofia - Symbolical Burial from the Varna Necropolis.jpg|thumbnail|400px|left|Figure 1. Example of one of the Varna Necropolis graves.]]Gold==is first known to have been acquired by ancient human societies in the 4th millennium BC, a time when copper and metals were beginning to be utilized more frequently. The use of gold expanded during this period because pyrotechnologies improved. As pyrotechnologies improved metals such as gold and copper became more flexible. In fact, when gold appears in the New World, it also appears to be associated with the early development of pyrotechnologies, suggesting gold develops early as metallurgy developed. This likely also means gold, and its luster properties, were desired early on by societies able to master pyrotechnologies to extract and create gold artifacts.
====Early Use of Gold====[[File:Or de Varna - Nécropole.jpg|thumbnail|left|200px|Figure 2. A burial of a high status individual at Varna Necropolis; this individual stands out from among the graves and seems to have a substantial amount of gold compared to other graves.]]One of the oldest known uses of gold appears to be in Bulgaria, from a site that is called Varna Necropolis or Varna Cemetery, which dates to around 4600 BC.<ref>For detailed information about the Varna Necropolis, see: Ivanov, Ivan Simeonov, and Mai︠a︡ Avramova, eds. 2000. ''Varna Necropolis: The Dawn of European Civilization''. Treasures of Bulgaria 1. Sofia: Agatʹo Publ.</ref> The site is a burial ground were a number of gold artifacts were found to be in clear burial contexts associated with human skeletonsa variety of individuals. Surprisingly, out of the more than 200 graves found, many of them contained gold and other metal finds (primarily copper; Figure 1). One individual seemed to have far more gold buried with him, with objects including This indicates a society that had already developed a strong affinity toward gold mace, jewelry, and even it became a penis sheath made status object for many members of gold (Figure 1)society.
However, we also begin to see that not all individuals were treated equally. One individual seemed to have far more gold buried with him, with objects including a gold mace, jewelry, and even a penis sheath made of gold (Figure 2). This could indicate that this society had begun to develop a type of chiefdom society, where one individual did accumulate more power than others and consequently have more gold than the other graves.  In the southern Levant, a cave in Nahal Qanah contained eight artifacts from a burial context that suggests a type of elite burial ground could have been established by the 4th millennium BC. These gold objects were in the form of gold rings. In fact, the find suggests gold could have already become the privy of the most elite in society. <ref>For more information about the Nahal Qanah cave, see: Gopher, Avi, Tseviḳah Tsuḳ, and I. Carmi. 1996. ''The Naḥal Qanah Cave: Earliest Gold in the Southern Levant''. Monograph Series / Tel Aviv University, Sonia and Marco Nadler ''Institute of Archaeology'', no. 12. Tel Aviv: Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University Publications Section.</ref>  What the finds at Nahal Qanah and Varna Necropolis show is that early from gold's history it had already become an object that differentiated wealth and status in societies. In fact, we can say that gold seems to be associated with hierarchy, different levels of power, and different access to wealth at its inception of use. Clearly, this relates to the traits of its beauty and rarity, although it is one of the only types of elements we have known that seems to have these cultural attributes true for a large number of societies.  Perhaps, though, there are differences in its view, as seen by these early societies. For instance, the finds in the south Levant showed that gold was even more restricted, suggesting the most elite members of society may have only accessed it. In both Bulgaria and the south Levant cases, gold was found in the form of body jewelry; in the majority of early finds of gold known, in fact, gold was often associated as body adornment, whether for the living or the dead. <ref>For more information on the analysis of the Nahal Qanah finds, see: Shalev, Sariel. 1995. “Metals in Ancient Israel: Archaeological Interpretation of Chemical Analysis.” ''Israel Journal of Chemistry 35'' (2): 109–16.</ref> This suggests gold, at the very least, was an element intended for display, whether to the living or the dead, and can be considered a type of showing off perhaps, to impress others, the gods, or even spirits. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, the two main regions where early urban cultures developed, gold was used by the 5th millennium BC. In Egypt, significant mining was likely already taking place in areas where gold deposits were commonly found, mainly in southern Egypt and Nubia. <ref>For more information about gold mining and gold in Egypt, see: Klemm, Rosemarie, and Dietrich Klemm. 2013. ''Gold and Gold Mining in Ancient Egypt and Nubia: Geoarchaeology of the Ancient Gold Mining Sites in the Egyptian and Sudanese Eastern Deserts''. New York: Springer.</ref>  In Mesopotamia, the first gold appears in the 5th millennium BC during the Ubaid period. We begin to get references to gold in texts by the 3rd millennium BC, showing it becoming an important object for imports. What early texts also show is that states had a large control of the gold trade, although it was not exclusive to states. Nevertheless, gold became mostly associated with priests/temples and royalty.  Private households also traded gold and often attempted to acquire it as an important long-term holding, but rarely was gold buried by private houses with graves (i.e., it was probably far too valuable for common households to remove this item from their wealth). <ref>For examples of how households possibly used golds in ancient Mesopotamia, see: Nemet-Nejat, Karen Rhea. 1998. ''Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia''. The Greenwood Press “Daily Life through History” Series. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, pg. 123.</ref> Gold, for private households, becomes a way for families to preserve and pass on wealth, given its great value and non-perishable nature.[[File:Or de Varna - NécropolePeru Zeremonialmesser Sican EthnM.jpg|thumbnail|right200px|left|Figure 13. A ceremonial knife from Peru, dated to 850-1500 AD, showing that gold developed independently in the New World. ]] In many cases, where gold has been discovered, it was found as an alloy with silver (i.e., electrum). At times, gold was also alloyed with lead, indicating that pure gold was generally rarer.<ref>For more information about gold in Mesopotamia, see: Leick, Gwendolyn. 2010. Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia. 2nd ed. Historical Dictionaries of Ancient Civilizations and Historical Eras, no. 26. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, pg. 79.</ref> In fact, in addition to providing extra strength, alloys also allow the one to utilize more of gold find to create larger objects that look like gold. This gives an appearance of an even larger gold object.  By the early 3rd millennium BC, gold becomes symbolic with royal authority in Egypt. One has to remember the earliest Great Pyramid, and other pyramids, were adorned with gold graves found, in particular, the top part of the pyramid was likely made of gold so that it could shine at a great distance. In part, for Egypt, the site shine of Varna Necropolisgold resembled the sun's shining characteristics, where representing the chief god Ra for Egyptians.<ref>For more description on the high status individual is buried qualities of gold and its association with Ra, see: Perl, Leila, and Erika Wells. 1988. ''Mummies, Tombs and Treasure : Secrets of Ancient Egypt''. London : Hodder and Stoughton. </ref> To obtain more gold for both domestic consumption and trade, expeditions became organized by the royal authorities for mines containing gold. <ref>For more information about gold expeditions, see: Der Manuelian, Peter, and Thomas Schneider, eds. 2015. ''Towards a substantial amount New History for the Egyptian Old Kingdom: Perspectives on the Pyramid Age''. Harvard Egyptological Studies, volume 1. Leiden ; Boston: Brill, pg. 445.</ref> In the Indus, by the 3rd millennium BC, and likely earlier, gold was also utilized extensively, reflecting its increased importance for elites and trade. Like other regions, gold was generally found as part of the electrum, which is also a natural alloy. <ref>For more information about goldin the Indus, see: McIntosh, Jane. 2008. ''The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO’s Understanding Ancient Civilizations Series''. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, pg. 145.]]</ref>
In the New World, the Andes region, in Peru specifically, has the earliest dated gold finds, where objects date to around 2000 BC. Interestingly, these early gold finds are in the form of jewelry and found in a burial context, similar to the Old World discoveries. <ref> For more information about the earliest gold artifacts from Peru, see: Aldenderfer, M., N. M. Craig, R. J. Speakman, and R. Popelka-Filcoff. 2008. “Four-Thousand-Year-Old Gold Artifacts from the Lake Titicaca Basin, Southern Peru.” ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105'' (13): 5002–5. doi:10.1073/pnas.0710937105. </ref> This could suggest, similar to other regions, that as social hierarchy and stratification became established, gold was one object that differentiated humans' status within society. In other words, gold becomes associated with wealth and power soon after it begins to be used (Figure 3).
 
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====Role in Society====
In the cases where gold was found at relatively early dates, several characteristics are evident. For one, gold is often found in funerary contexts, suggesting it was both a status symbol in life and something to be taken to the next life. Interestingly, in many of the finds from the Old and New World indicate that gold, despite its rarity, was from its onset a way to display power in the afterlife and as a way to remind others of the power and prestige of the individual to members of society after they had passed away. <ref>Boyle, Robert W. 1987. ''Gold History and Genesis of Deposits''. Boston, MA: Springer US. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1969-6.</ref>
 
This concept continues when we see the development of state societies. Kingship, and by extension the state, begin to utilize gold more frequently for burials and in many of these cases it was a way to display power in the present and afterlife.
 
Perhaps this reflects the next life or afterlife similarly is characterized by social stratification. As social hierarchy developed in ancient societies, which seems to be true both in the New and Old Worlds, gold was common among societies that differentiated individuals in power and prestige. So in addition to being evident in the finds from Bulgaria and southern Levant, it is also evident in Egypt, Peru, and Mesopotamia, showing the diversity of cultures where this trait develops.
 
Nevertheless, there are key differences with how gold was treated in early societies. In the ancient Near East, gold was often found as jewelry with women, suggesting women often wore gold as representing family wealth or were often the ones who literally wore the family's wealth. <ref> For further information on women in the ancient Near East society and wealth, see: Chavalas, Mark W., ed. 2012. ''Women in the Ancient Near East: A Sourcebook. Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World''. London: Routledge.</ref>
 
One can consider gold and women's jewelry as a repository of family wealth. This could also be one reason why we find female burials often having large quantities of gold, as not only did they literally carry the gold but the family wealth is best shown off utilizing the female members. For example, the burial of the Queen or Priestess of Puabi from the ancient city of Ur is one example of this (Figure 4).
 
By the 3rd millennium BC, we begin to see gold having more of a trade value, although very likely this occurred earlier. We see evidence of gold being shipped in from distant regions, such as India or Anatolia, in places such as Mesopotamia. In the 2nd millennium BC, when the trade in gold became more substantial in the eastern Mediterranean region, it is during this active time of trade that gold becomes a standard used to measure value of other commodities. In fact, gold, between 1600-1200 BC or the Late Bronze Age, was becoming the basis of value for many valuable objects now being traded between Central Asia and the Mediterranean, including metals such as tin and copper. <ref> For more information on the Late Bronze Age gold standard, see: Edwards, Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen, ed. 2003. ''History of the Middle East and the Aegean Region C. 1380 - 1000 B.C.'' 3. ed., 6. printing. The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 2, Pt. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.</ref>
In the southern LevantHowever, this was a cave relatively exceptional period, as in most other Bronze Age periods, silver was considered the area of Nahal Qana contained eight artifacts from more common standard, given its greater prevalence. <ref>For a burial context that suggests a type history of elite burial ground could have been establishedgold and its role in ancient societies, see: Bernstein, Peter L. In fact, the find suggests gold could have already become the privy 2004. The Power of Gold: The History of the most elite in societyan Obsession. Illustrated ed. New York: Wiley.</ref>
In Egypt and Mesopotamia, ====Evolution of Gold====During the two main regions where early urban cultures developed1st millennium BC, gold was also used by around the 4th millennium 6th century BC. In Egypt, mining was likely already taking place in areas where gold deposits were found, particularly in the Wadi Hammamat region in southern Egypt. In MesopotamiaNear East and eastern Mediterranean Hellenistic states, we begin to get references to see coins now utilized with gold in texts by .<ref>For more on the 3rd millennium BCevolution of early coins and gold coins, showing it becoming an important object for importssee: Leslie Kurke. 1999. HoweverCoins, in many casesBodies, where gold has been discovered, it was found as an alloy with silver (iGames and Gold.eThe Politics of Meaning in Archaic Greece., electrum)Princeton: Princeton University Press. At times</ref> In fact, gold was also alloyed with leadit is one of the first metals to be fashioned into coins, indicating that pure suggesting gold was generally more rarecoins and coins i general were first intended for high value exchange.
By the early 3rd millennium BCWhile this largely reflects gold’s role as an object utilized for trade and exchange, gold becomes symbolic with it now also shows royal authority in Egypt. Expeditions were now organized for mines containing was beginning to stamp goldwith iconography as a way to show government-level backing. In This derives from the Indus, by gold and royalty concept we had seen in the 3rd third millennium BCgraves and other royal or high elite status. In effect, coinage and gold become established as the privy of the state <ref>For history and likely earlierpresentation of types of ancient gold coins, see Friedberg, gold was also utilized extensivelyArthur L., Ira S. Friedberg, reflecting its increased importance for elites and tradeRobert Friedberg. 2003. Similar ''Gold Coins of the World: From Ancient Times to other regionsthe Present: An Illustrated Standard Catalogue with Valuations''. 7th ed. Clifton, gold was generally found as part of electrum, which is also a natural alloyN.J: Coin and Currency Institute. </ref>
In the New WorldEventually, the region of the Andesas gold coins continue to be utilized, gold and how much gold in coins become standardized more substantially. The concept accelerates in Peru specifically, has the earliest dated gold findslate 1st millennium BC across the Mediterranean world, where objects date to around 2000 BC have been found. Interestingly, these early gold finds are in is always the form of jewelry top-level currency and found in burial context, similar to can only be minted by the Old World discoveriesgovernments controlling a given region. This could suggestconcept of gold currency continues into the Medieval world, similar to other regions, that as social hierarchy and stratification became established, gold was one object that differentiated in particular for Europe after the status reemergence of humans within societystates. In other words, <ref>For example of gold becomes associated with wealth and power soon after how it begins to be was used (Figure 2)for currency in the Medieval World, see: Allen, Martin. 2012. Mints and Money in Medieval England. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref>
[[File:Peru Zeremonialmesser Sican EthnMArguably, one of the chief motivations for the Spanish conquests in the New World was gold.jpg|thumbnail|Figure 2Much of that became refashioned into the gold-level currency used by Spain's governing bodies and banks after their conquest. A ceremonial knife from PeruThis helped launch Spain and other European powers eventually into a global race for power, dated but one can argue a race to 850-1500 ADaccrue as much gold as possible, showing that gold developed independently in the New Worldas it symbolized Europe's new power. ]]
==Role The example shows that gold had, very early, established itself as a metal distinct from all other metals. It quickly became a prestige good that changed media, such as in Society==coinage, but the prestige continued irrespective of the media and the modern era.
In the cases where gold was found at relatively early dates, several characteristics are evident. For one, gold is often found in funerary contexts, suggesting it was both a status symbol in life but also something ====Conclusion====Gold can be seen to be taken to the next life. Perhaps this reflects the next life or afterlife similarly is characterized by social stratification. In fact, as social hierarchy developed something of great desire in ancient many societies, which seems to be true both in the New and Old Worldsworlds (the Americas, gold was often one object that differentiated individuals in many societies. This is evident in finds from Peru, Bulgaria, Egypt, southern LevantAsia, and MesopotamiaAfrica). In Despite the ancient Near East, diversity of where gold was often first found as jewelry with women, suggesting women often wore at the onset, gold was seen as representing family wealth or were often a way to differentiate the ones who literally wore power of individuals in this life and the family's wealthafterlife. It is also by This suggests the 3rd millennium BC that we begin to see gold having more of a trade value, although very likely this occurred earlier. We see evidence qualities of gold as being shipped in from distant regions, such as India attractive to human societies seem almost universal or Anatolia, innate. Gold utilization in places such societies evolves as Mesopotamia. In the 2nd millennium BC, when the trade in gold became more substantial in the eastern Mediterranean region, it is during this active time of trade that gold becomes also a standard used to measure value of other commodities. Between 1600-1200 BC, the Late Bronze Age saw gold becoming the basis of value for many valuable objects now being traded between Central Asia and the Mediterranean, including metals such as tin and copper. However, this was a relatively exceptional period, as in most other Bronze Age periods silver was considered the more common standard, given its greater prevalenceeconomies.
During By the 1st millennium BCtime currency or coins are used, gold becomes a high level standard that royal authority can only support and uses as a basis in economic exchange by around the 6th century BC in placing the Near East and eastern Mediterranean Hellenistic states, we begin to see coins now utilized with gold. In fact, it is one image of the first metals to be fashioned into coins, suggesting coinage and gold were used for high value exchangeking on currency. While this largely reflects gold’s role as an object utilized for trade and exchange, it now also shows royal authority was beginning This begins to stamp make gold with iconography as a way something to show government-level backingbe controlled by state societies and their primary privy rather than that of common individuals. This helps establish With the concept control of currency and standardized gold by governments, this begins to help standardize its value more substantially. The concept accelerates in the late 1st millennium BC across the Mediterranean world, where gold became associated with top-level currency and utilized for high value exchanges. This this concept of gold currency continues and was retained into the modern era. In contrast, gold’s value and importance to society have only increased since ancient periods.
<div class="portal" style=Conclusion"width:85%;">====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[How did the Silk Road develop?]]*[[What Caused the Rise of Agriculture?]]*[[When was Insurance First Used?]]*[[How did Early Empires facilitate the Rise of Investment Banking?]]</div>{{Mediawiki:Ancient Greece}}====References====<references/>
Gold seems to be one of these objects that has independent origins in many societies in the New and Old worlds (the Americas, Asia, and Africa). This suggests the qualities of gold as being attractive to human societies seems almost universal or innate. Gold utilization in societies evolves over time as a basis for economies. By the time currency or coins are used, gold becomes a high level standard that royal authority supports and uses as a basis in economic exchange by placing the image of the king on currency. This helps to standardize its value and this concept continues into the modern era, while gold’s value and importance to society has only increased since ancient periods.[[Category:Wikis]][[Category:Ancient History]][[Category:Economic History]]{{Contributors}}

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