Another pair of Roman earrings to make

A day or so ago, I discovered the new webpage of Laura Storey, an SCA member who has done some good research, and prepared some excellent, clear articles, on ancient Roman clothing, as well as other SCA-appropriate subjects.

I had read a number of Laura's articles and handouts before, but the page included an interesting tidbit that was new to me; a link to a photographic tutorial she prepared on how to make your own version of a pair of earrings from Oplontis, which are in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.  Oplontis was a town located near Pompeii in the first century CE   Like Pompeii, Oplontis was buried by the Mount Vesuvius eruption that simultaneously took many lives but also preserved some choice items of Roman material culture for study by archaeologists.

Laura's tutorial clearly shows that a pair of earrings with pearls or beads dangling from little posts, called crotalia, can easily be made with suitable beads and 22-gauge wire. Perhaps I'll make a pair after I complete my Roman necklace project.