Archaeologists have found a pair of silver earrings in a grave of a woman in the 5200-year-old Burnt City (Iran) which disproves the theory that the inhabitants of the city never used earrings. A skeleton of a woman with one circular silver earring on each side of her skull was unearthed during the last days of the excavations at the cemetery of the Burnt City, said Mansur Sajjadi, the director of the Iranian archaeological team working in the region.
     The Burnt City was one of the world’s largest cities at the dawn of the urban era. It was built circa 3200 BCE and destroyed some time around 2100 BCE. The city had four stages of civilization and was burnt down three times. Since it was not rebuilt after the last time it was burnt down, it has been named the Burnt City.
     “This is the first time we have found a pair of earrings at the ancient site. A large mirror and a silver ring were also discovered in the woman’s grave,” Sajjadi said. The large amount of gemstones and jewelry found at the Burnt City over the past few years indicates that the inhabitants were interested in ornaments. The objects also showed that the people were skilled in making necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other adornments, but no earrings had ever been found at the site. Archaeologists had believed that the use of earrings was not common in the city, but the newly discovered earrings disprove that idea. A group of anthropologists is currently studying the skeleton to determine the age and race of the woman, Sajjadi added.
      Although many studies have been carried out on the Burnt City, so far experts have not been able to determine the ethnicity and language of the city’s inhabitants.

Source: Tehran Times (9 March 2005)