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34-656: The site was accidentally discovered in October 1972 by excavator operator Raycho Marinov. The first person to value the significant historical meaning was Dimitar Zlatarski, the creator of the Dalgopol Historical Museum, when he was called by the locals to examine what they had found earlier that day. He realized how important the finding was, so he contacted the Varna Historical Museum and, after signing government papers, he handed over

68-661: A "constant" number of 32 facets – 16+16 on both sides on the elongation of the bead, which is considered probably the earliest in Chalcolithic complex faceting on such a hard mineral (hardness of chalcedony is 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale). In the hole of a single carnelian bead was found a gold mini-cylinder (~2x2 mm). The gold artifacts from the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis are assumed to be the "oldest gold of mankind" according to their total volume and quantity. Analysis of

102-805: A fairly uncommon skill, even among embroiderers who work in other free embroidery styles; it is now most commonly used for the highest-quality church vestments and art embroidery. It has always been reserved for occasional and special use only, due to both the expense of the materials and the time to create the embroidery, and because the threads will usually not hold up to frequent laundering of any kind. A variety of threads exists, in order to create differing textures. In addition, paillettes or spangles (sequins of real metal), small pieces of appliqued rich fabric or kid leather , pearls , and real or imitation gems are commonly used as accents, and felt or string padding may be used to create raised areas or texture. Silk thread work in satin stitch or other stitches

136-526: A stilleto is used to help position the threads and create the holes needed to pull them through. The threads most often have metal or gold leaf wound around a textile thread, or threads treated with an adhesive and rolled in powdered gold or other metal. Goldwork was originally developed in Asia, and has been used for at least 2000 years. Its use reached a remarkable level of skill in the Middle Ages , when

170-536: A style called Opus Anglicanum was developed in England and used extensively in church vestments and hangings. After this period it was also used frequently in the clothing and furnishings of the royalty and nobility throughout Europe, and still later on military and other regalia. The same silver and gold thread were also used heavily in the most expensive tapestries , especially during the Renaissance . Goldwork

204-408: Is always surface embroidery and free embroidery ; the vast majority is a form of laid work or couching; that is, the gold threads are held onto the surface of the fabric by a second thread, usually of fine silk. The ends of the thread, depending on type, are simply cut off, or are pulled through to the back of the embroidery and carefully secured with the couching thread. A tool called a mellore or

238-571: Is attested in the Mycenean and Wessex bronze age culture dating back to 1700 BC although it was only used for weapons. The record of gold embroidery extends far back in English history. Thomas of Ely noted the Abbess of Ely, St. Etheldrada , who died in 679, was adept at embroidering goldwork and made St. Cuthbert a stole and maniple richly embroidered in gold and adorned with gems. Embroidery

272-499: Is currently a fairly uncommon skill, even among embroiderers who work in other free embroidery styles; it is now most commonly used for the highest-quality church vestments and art embroidery. It has always been reserved for occasional and special use only, due both to the expense of the materials and time to create the embroidery, and because the threads – no matter how expertly applied – will not hold up to frequent laundering of any kind. Embroidered goldwork

306-638: Is distinct from the even more luxurious cloth of gold , where similar gold threads are woven through the whole piece of textile. Such gold textiles are similarly ancient, perhaps older, being mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible. Evidence exists for the use of woven (not embroidered) gold thread around the Mediterranean and Western Asia as early as the 4th century BCE, as fillets , ribbons, and bands or borders applied to garments. Goldwork

340-543: Is no evidence in the second half of the 5th millennium B.C.). Direct evidence of the incursion of horse-riding warriors is found, not only in single burials of males under barrows, but in the emergence of a whole complex of Kurgan cultural traits." According to J. Chapman, "Once upon a time, not so very long ago, it was widely accepted that steppe nomads from the North Pontic zone invaded the Balkans, putting an end to

374-532: Is the art of embroidery using metal threads . It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver, or copper. The metal wires used to make the threads have never been entirely gold ; they have always been gold-coated silver or cheaper metals, and even then the "gold" often contains a very low percent of real gold. Most metal threads are available in silver and sometimes copper as well as gold; some are available in colors as well. Goldwork

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408-524: The Chalcolithic Varna culture , which is the local variant of the KGKVI . There are crouched and straight inhumations. Some graves do not contain a skeleton, but grave gifts ( cenotaphs ). These symbolic (empty) graves are the richest in gold artifacts. Three thousand gold artifacts have been found, with a weight of approximately six kilograms. Grave 43 contained more gold than has been found in

442-706: The Varna Archaeological Museum and at the National Historical Museum in Sofia. In 2006, some gold objects were included in a major and broadly advertised national exhibition of antique gold treasures in both Sofia and Varna. The Varna gold started touring the world in 1973; it was included in "The Gold of the Thracian Horseman" national exhibition, shown at many of the world's leading museums and exhibition venues in

476-652: The 1970s. In 1982, it was exhibited for 7 months in Japan as "The Oldest Gold in the World – The First European Civilization" with massive publicity, including two full length TV documentaries. In the 1980s and 1990s it was also shown in Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Israel, among others, and featured in a cover story by the National Geographic Magazine . The Varna necropolis artifacts were shown for

510-521: The Climax Copper Age society that produced the apogee of tell living, autonomous copper metallurgy and, as the grandest climax, the Varna cemetery with its stunning early goldwork . Now the boot is very much on the other foot and it is the Varna complex and its associated communities that are held responsible for stimulating the onset of prestige goods-dominated steppe mortuary practice following

544-645: The Varna culture had trade relations with distant lands (possibly including the lower Volga and the Cyclades ), perhaps exporting metal goods and salt from the Provadiya rock salt mine — Solnitsata . The copper ore used in the artifacts originated from a Sredna Gora mine near Stara Zagora , and Mediterranean Spondylus shells found in the graves may have served as primitive currency. The culture had sophisticated religious beliefs about afterlife and had developed hierarchical status differences. The site offers

578-516: The arrival of the Greeks in 365–323 BC. Indian metal thread embroidery uses precious and semiprecious stones and wire in distinctive ways. It is certain that the use of gold and silver embroideries, known as zari , was used in India in the 15th century. Gold thread which was made out of beaten metal strips wrapped around a silk core was introduced in India from Singapore . Goldwork is currently

612-462: The artifacts were made largely by local craftspeople. Gimbutas (1991) asserted: "The discontinuity of the Varna , Karanovo , Vinča and Lengyel cultures in their main territories and the large scale population shifts to the north and northwest are indirect evidence of a catastrophe of such proportions that cannot be explained by possible climatic change, land exhaustion, or epidemics (for which there

646-427: The entire rest of the world for that epoch. It was initially identified as the grave of a prince, but is now thought to be that of a smith . Three symbolic graves contained masks of unbaked clay. "Varna is the oldest cemetery yet found where humans were buried with abundant golden ornaments. … The weight and the number of gold finds in the Varna cemetery exceeds by several times the combined weight and number of all of

680-573: The exception of Nasīj ) in clothing and textile, as well as the silver-work version, originated in ancient China and was used at least since the Eastern Han dynasty (25 to 220 AD) or prior, with possible usage in the Shang dynasty ( c. 1570 BC – c. 1045 BC). Since the Zhou dynasty (c.1046 to 256 BC), Chinese embroidery had been used as a social class marker . In China, embroidery in gold

714-507: The expansion of farming." Among the metallic (gold and copper) and non-metallic (minerals, rocks, pottery, pigments, biofacts ) artifacts in the graves from the Varna Chalcolithic site are numerous beads of a chalcedony (carnelian) and agate composition. Three main morphological types of beads are described: type 1 – elongated barrel-shaped; type 2 – elongated with trapezohedral facets; type 3 – short cylindrical (Kostov, 2007; Kostov, Pelevina, 2008). The carnelian and related beads of type 2 have

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748-916: The first time in the United States in 1998 and 1999 as part of a major Bulgarian archaeological exhibition, Thracians' Riches: Treasures from Bulgaria . In 2009–2010, several artifacts were shown at the New York University Institute for the Study of the Ancient World in a joint Bulgarian- Romanian-Moldovan exhibition entitled The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000–3500 BC . 43°12′47″N 27°51′52″E  /  43.21306°N 27.86444°E  / 43.21306; 27.86444 1972 in archaeology The year 1972 in archaeology involved some significant events. Goldwork (embroidery) Goldwork

782-462: The form of saints. Or nué ('shaded gold') is a special technique invented in the 15th century, wherein many threads of passing or Japan thread are laid down parallel and touching. By varying the spacing and color of the couching stitches, elaborate, gleaming images can be created. This is commonly used to depict the garments of saints in church embroidery. The use of goldwork in India predates

816-444: The gold artifacts found in all excavated sites of the same millenium, 5000-4000 BC, from all over the world, including Mesopotamia and Egypt. … Three graves contained gold objects that together accounted for more than half of the total weight of all gold grave goods yielded by the cemetery. A scepter, symbol of a supreme secular or religious authority, was discovered in each of these three graves." (Slavchev 2010) The findings showed that

850-523: The gold-embroidered cloth was known as "Attalic" cloth. Pliny the Elder credited Attalus I with inventing the technique, but this is most unlikely. The toga picta , worn by generals in their Roman triumphs , and later consuls and emperors, was dyed solid purple, decorated with imagery in gold thread, and worn over a similarly-decorated tunica palmata . After the fall of the Roman Empire , it

884-435: The measured weight of the different types of gold artеfacts (beads, appliqués, rings, bracelets, pectorals and diadems) revealed a weight system with at least two minimal weight units of ~0.14 and ~0.40 g among both mineral and gold beads (Kostov, 2004; 2007). The second one (=2 carats) was suggested as a basic "Chalcolithic unit" with the name van (from the first letters of Varna necropolis). The artifacts can be seen at

918-507: The oldest known burial evidence of an elite man. ( Marija Gimbutas claims that the end of the fifth millennium BC is the time that the development to male dominance began in Europe.) The high status man buried with the most remarkable amount of gold held a war adze or mace and wore a gold penis sheath or likely a Belt Tip made of gold. Bull-shaped gold platelets might also have venerated virility, instinctual force, and warfare. Gimbutas holds that

952-501: The research to the direction of Mihail Lazarov (1972–1976) and Ivan Ivanov (1972–1991). About 30% of the estimated necropolis area is still not excavated. A total of 294 graves have been found in the necropolis, many containing sophisticated examples of metallurgy (gold and copper), pottery (about 600 pieces, including gold-painted ones), high-quality flint and obsidian blades, beads, and shells. The graves have been dated to 4569–4340 BCE by radiocarbon dating in 2006 and belong to

986-454: The senses and the mind.   ... The pomp and circumstance created by the awe-inspiring use of metal threads in church work was observed keenly by kings and emulated where possible. In China, gold embroidery is a traditional Chinese craft with a long history which was originally used in the imperial palaces and temples. Chinese goldwork, including application of gold leaf , gold powder , gold thread (as embroidery or as woven textile with

1020-666: Was found on imperial and ceremonial dress , and religious dress, and other textile objects. Chinese goldwork often used red silk threads for couching, adding a warmer tone to the embroidery. One of the two important branches of Chinese gold embroidery is the Chao embroidery which was developed in Chaozhou , Guangdong province since the Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD) and the gold- and silver-coloured embroidery of Ningbo , which mostly uses gold and silver metallic threads. Gold embroidery

1054-472: Was generally reserved for garments of the nobility and church hangings and vestments , and as a luxury technique survived from ancient times in the Middle Ages . It featured significantly in Byzantine dress and church textiles, and was sometimes worn by musicians and servants in uniform. When illiteracy was common and thus written materials had less impact, "images and the visual realm [had] more power over

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1088-602: Was originally developed in Asia, and has been used for at least 2000 years. In China , it possibly dates back to the Shang dynasty ( c.  1570 BC  – c.  1045 BC ) according to archaeological studies, but was certainly in use by the Eastern Han dynasty (25 to 220 AD). It had reached ancient Rome soon after 189 BC, initially made in Pergamum (modern Bergama in Western Turkey). King Attalus I probably established large state workshops there, and

1122-599: Was produced for millennia in Europe, golden silk thread was still associated with its origins in China . The producing of gold cloth became common in Europe, such as France and Italy by the 16th century. After this period it was also used frequently in the clothing and furnishings of the royalty and nobility throughout Europe, and still later on military and other regalia. The Imperial and Ecclesiastical Treasury in Vienna displays vestments decorated with accomplished Or nué in

1156-492: Was thought to be a fitting activity for noblewomen, both those within and outside of convents. By late antiquity golden silk embroidery technology was introduced to Europe from Asia. Goldworken silk thread technology were also adopted by Italian weavers. Italian centers of silk production ( Lucca , Venice , Florence , and Milan ) producing cloth of gold started appearing after the Crusades . Even after golden silk thread

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