Mycenaean Fibulae Essay

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Mycenaean Fibulae (750-700 B.C.) Introduction A fibula was essentially a safety pin used to fasten clothing. They first appeared in Greece around 1100 BC in the Sub-Mycenaean Period. Mycenaean soldiers would use them to clasp a cape, or an outer cloak worn in battle and in ceremony. It later became a popular feature of Late Antique aristocratic clothing. The fibula was eventually adopted by many groups of people living in Northern Europe to fasten woolen cloaks for protection against cooler climates. These brooches came in many different sizes and forms in order to adapt to different clothing worn by various individuals. Fibulae of smaller sizes were normally worn by women, while both men and women wore fibulae of larger sizes. Highly ornamented fibulae were worn by wealthy individuals and were often used to sell or trade. What the discovery of the fibulae essentially illustrated was that the Mycenaean Civilization did in fact have a considerable amount of wealth. Fibula Structure Most fibulae were made of bronze , iron or both. There were also certain fibulae made of precious metals, such as silver or gold and ornamented with enamel, semi-precious stones, glass, coral or bone. The fibula is essentially composed of four components, the body, the pin, the spring and the hinge. The body was known as the bow or the plate, it was all in accordance to the basic form. The bow is usually long , narrow and is often arched. Whereas a plate is wide and flat. The plates could either be solid or openwork . The body is often decorated. On one end of the body is the head and that is usually where the spring or hinge is while on the other end is the foot and that is where the pin closes. The pin was used to fasten the clothing was either a continuation of the body or a separated piece attached to the body. The pin connected the pin to a catch plate or a

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