The Phoenicians focus on trade and social connections elevated merchants to the most powerful group in their nation. These merchants preferred to maintain their businesses inside the family and establish enduring ties with other families in strategic regions such as Egypt, rather than creating organizations like contemporary dealers. The individuals in this class were exempt from military service and manual labor, allowing them to focus on creating a society centered around aesthetics and fashion, which led to the production of intricate tunics, necklaces, and caps. Wealthy nobles and other significant individuals began to follow this fashion trend, using clothing and accessories as a means to showcase their status and importance.
Female goddesses were frequently shown naked, whereas Phoenician women were always dressed from head to toe to maintain modesty. Men wore tight tunics, but women’s robes were designed to be loose and draped in intentional folds. Points of interest were mostly focused on the bust and waist, where having some contour was allowed before the cloth started to billow and form heavy drapery folds. Girdles were utilized to provide definition to the material and fastened at the front. Petticoats were a frequent undergarment worn beneath robes. Women donned leather sandals for foot protection from sand, rocks, and various dangers.
Women’s hair was an atypical situation. While women from certain areas covered their hair with caps for modesty, others let their hair flow freely in waves that split at the center of the head. Hair was typically shoulder-length and could be managed using a single woven or leather band. Some people wore loose hoods, which also shielded their faces from the sun. Wealthier ladies often dressed their hair with bands, whereas lower-class persons covered their heads to prevent sunburns. Phoenician women refrained from growing their hair longer than shoulder-length due to the high temperatures in the city-states.
Women’s Accessories
Phoenician women adorned themselves with a greater number of decorations and accessories compared to Phoenician males. Jewelry and decoration were symbols of household wealth and social rank, leading merchants, royals, and noblewomen to be the most adorned. Archaeological digs in Phoenician regions have uncovered a vast array of jewelry items including as rings, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, earrings, finger rings, brooches, lockets, buckles, and buttons crafted from valuable materials and gemstones. Some items, particularly mirrors, were crafted from these materials.
Necklaces
Necklaces were a captivating accessory for the Phoenicians and were deemed an essential component of their clothing. Archaeologists suggest that the objects found are likely associated with the nobility due to their discovery in tombs and royal graves, indicating that it is improbable for the typical Phoenician to have worn exquisite jewelry. A commoner probably owned necklaces made of colored clay beads arranged in numerous strands for a gorgeous appearance.
Historically, women are thought to have worn three to four layers of necklaces simultaneously, stacked on top of one other. The initial layer encircled the neck like a choker and sat just below the chin. The second necklace is more elaborate and stops at the level where the chest meets the collarbone. The third and fourth strands were notably longer and adorned with intricate decorations crafted from glass, gold, crystal, and other valuable gemstones. Several pendants were designed in the likeness of natural components such as pomegranates, acorns, and lotus flowers. Geometric designs like cones and vases were also achievable.
All these layers were decorated with beads. Clay beads were common among poorer classes, although upper-class folks usually wore huge beads made of gold or glass. Occasionally, precious stones were utilized to create beads, although this practice was uncommon. A brief necklace may contain 50 to 60 beads, and a lengthy strand could consist of over 100 beads. Beads made of carnelian or onyx were frequently used with bugles, while Egyptian jewelry commonly featured oval blue or bluish-green glass beads. The beads represent a substance known as “Egyptian blue,” produced by a special chemical process during fire and became a key commodity in commerce between the Egyptians and Phoenicians.
Some ancient necklaces originating from women in Cyprus have withstood the test of time. The first item is a row of 103 gold beads arranged in a design of alternating spheres and ovals. The oval beads are linked to gold pendants like lotus blooms, with the central pendant depicting a woman’s head and bust in the Egyptian fashion. The meticulous attention to detail is evident in the craftsmanship, and the necklace is substantial in weight. Another item from Cyprus contains 64 beads. Twenty-two beads are larger and attached to eighteen pendants adorned with intricate gold blossoms.
An exquisite demonstration of Phoenician artistry is a necklace crafted from a woven solid gold ribbon that was hammered and molded to achieve a pliable and flexible form. Caps are placed at both ends of the necklace to safeguard the string. One side displays a wrought lion’s head with a ring in its mouth, while the other end is equipped with a hook to create a full clasp. Archaeologists have been captivated by this artifact for years because of its exceptional quality. One expert described it as having a sense of effortlessness and skillful perfection in the way the thin wire is intricately folded back on itself multiple times.
Women embraced a fashion trend characterized by extravagant designs and excessive decoration that reflected their social status and ostentatious money. Bracelets were particularly favored due to their prominent appearance. Phoenician elite women frequently adorned themselves with various types of jewelry, with gold being the most prevalent choice. Several bracelets were just solid gold bands with no decoration. These bracelets might range in weight from 200 to 300 grams (about 7 to 10.5 ounces), making them both decorative and burdensome on the wrist. Some patterns were open and intended to be worn on the upper arm. The ends did not align but frequently featured intricate decorations such as lion or bull heads. Decorations, if present, were intricate carvings featuring floral designs or representations of the Phoenician letters.
Both men and women wore earrings, which could range from simple and plain to elaborate and imaginative. others were linked with chains to create sophisticated hanging designs, others had big medallions, and others were crafted to look like human skulls. Phoenicians typically preferred earrings with a ring in the ear, joined by lengthy center chains that held major amulets or embellishments. These symbols often represented deities, miniature vases, or animals.