Technological Observations on Two-Part Stone Jewelry-Casting Molds of the Late Bronze Age in the Near East

Two-part stone jewelry molds were intended for casting of small and delicate precious metal jewelry and were common primarily during the Late Bronze Age in the ancient Near East. Published examples bear witness to the technological sophistication of the ancient craftsmen who used them as versatile tools for casting of a variety of solid rings, bezels, earrings, pendants, diadems, beads, pins, figurines, and amulets. As most stones crack when exposed to the extreme heat of molten metal, solid casting using stone molds may actually have been intended for fabrication of wax models using the "lost wax" technique, which allows for their repeated use for production of wax anti-types. The largest number of these molds originates from coastal sites of the northern Levant, drawing attention to this region as a nexus of specialized metalworking during this period and probably also for the spread of this technology in the eastern Mediterranean.