Necklace with Rod-formed Pendants: Male Masks

First made in Egypt in the eighth century before our era, this type of necklace became widespread in the Mediterranean world, from Carthage and Egypt to Phoenicia (in particular, Sidon and Tyre), Cyprus and Rhodes. The pendants originally depicted deities belonging to major triads like that made up by Baal Hammon, Tanit and Eshmun. Such necklaces were intended to protect the individuals – whether living or dead – who wore them. Spreading throughout the Mediterranean area by means of Phoenician and Punic trade, they were found in Gaul, on the Iberian coasts, Etruria, Magna Graecia, and even in southern Russia. However, due to their exotic origin, in those regions their aesthetic and at times talismanic value eclipsed their symbolic nature.