Ancient mystery unlocked (4/30/2008)

A 2000-year-old mystery has arrived at the University of Queensland in the form of a large golden earring, now on public display in the R D Milns Antiquities Museum.

Thought to be from the Hellenistic Period (4th - 1st century BC), the earring is among the collection's newest objects, which include a terracotta figure of the fertility goddess Astarte, a silver Greco-Roman ring and two bronze military medallions (phalarae).

Museum curator and UQ lecturer in Ancient History Dr Sonia Puttock said rough dates were known about the items but the rest remained elusive.

"We have to do the research on them to find out just exactly what they are. When you buy an object you'll often you get a broad date but often you don't get a provenance (origin)," Dr Puttock said.

Each year the museum obtains new artefacts which can be matched with current teaching and research areas - anything from a study of the Roman military to ancient myth and magic.

Dating the objects involves tracking down references in historical texts and images and finding likenesses in other collections around the world.

Dr Puttock said mistakes were common - a recent example being a stone and terracotta mosaic thought to belong to a certain period until UQ researchers tracked down a similar item in Sicily and set the record straight.

"We have to try and find the context of an item and if something's been out of its context for hundreds of years it's difficult. You'd be surprised what you can find out about an object when you're researching it," she said.

Dr Puttock, an expert on Romano-British jewellery, said items like the earring had aesthetic value today but would have been prized for something much more important two millennia ago.

"The little goose on it, for example, it will signify a specific god and the workmanship is important. It's not just a decorative earring, it would've had some significance," she said.

"There's lots of things you can learn about the ancient world from these objects."

The museum has the second most valuable collection of its type in Australia, and is named in honour of a previous Professor of Classics, Emeritus Professor Bob Milns, AM.

Each year selected UQ students are given the chance to research and stage an exhibition as part of their coursework, with the collection also in demand by historians working around the world.

Members of the public are welcome to visit between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (no bookings required), with school and interest groups able to organise guided tours in advance.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by the University of Queensland

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