Latmos Rock Art Necklace: A Jewelry Tribute to our Creative Ancestors
Hi everyone. I am back to talk about inspirations behind my unique handmade jewelry creations. Many things inspire me such as my Mediterranean hometown of Bodrum, Mother Nature and most importantly archeology and earliest forms of art. For me the most enigmatic of our early ancestors' creations are rock art which are basically two kinds; petroglyphs (cave carvings or engravings) and rock paintings.
Before I get into the details of the matter take a look at my Latmos Rock Art Necklace. Each rock art pendant is handmade out of Sterling silver using lost wax casting technique.I personally wax modeled each of these enigmatic figures of ancient deities and abstract human figures by looking at several photos that I gathered from research journals and photos I found on the web. This type of necklace can be designed to include gemstones as well but I think it looks pretty impressive when each petroglyph is used as a pendant with a minimalist approach. I used genuine Italian leather with a Sterling silver clasp, which I have also designed, to create the cord.
Latmos Rock Art Necklace
Latmos Rock Art Necklace Close Up on the Enigmatic Pendants
Latmos Rock Art Necklace
So what exactly is rock art. As I said before these include petroglphys which are carvings made by chipping away a rock surface by pecking or abrading it using simple tools. Some petroglyphs are as old as 40,000 years and same have been dated to around 7,000 to 9,000 years old. They have been found all over the world except for Antarctica. Most of the petroglyphs discovered so far have been found in Australia, Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia and North America. Here are a few photos just in case you are curious about what they look like. These photos show carvings from Utah and Libya.
And did you know that petroglyphs are different from petrographs which are basically images painted on the rocks? I personally find both kinds of rock art extremely creative and amazing. Here are some examples to rock paintings from Bhimbetka, Häljesta and Cuevas de las Manos.
But one particular group of rock art is very special for me. Not too far from my Mediterranean home lies the "five-fingered" Latmos Mountains. It is located near Didyma Peninsula on the Eastern part of the Aegean Sea. It is best to show where it is located on a map perhaps, so here we are.
Latmos Mountains have been a sacred place where deities were worshipped in the ancient times. This amazing place is both very rich in history and a true heaven for wildlife with many endemic species. The area is home to rare plants and endangered animals including wild cats called Caracal and white tailed sea eagle. And of course Latmos Mountains are also the home to several rock art which are truly inspirational for me.
Latmos rock paintings are very old. Dating back to 6th to 5th millenia B.C, The discovery was made by the German archaeologist Dr. Anneliese Peschlow. These rock paintings stand out with their uniqueness in terms of both style and theme. They focus on family scenes and show how society started changing on the beginning of Neolithic age. Nothing else compares to Latmos rock art in the Mediterranean and Near East, in fact so unique that these paintings are associated to a totally new culture known as the 'Latmos Culture'. Here they are shedding light to our distant past with all their glory.
The Weather God of Latmos Mountain
Photo Credit: http://www.yascha.net/L/Petition-eng.html
Latmos Rock Art from the book by Anneliese Peschlow
Photo Credit: http://latmos-felsbilder.de/01.php?l=eng
Latmos Rock Art from the book by Anneliese Peschlow
Photo Credit: http://turkey2011.weebly.com/kapikiri.html
Latmos Rock Art from the book by Anneliese Peschlow
Photo Credit: http://turkey2011.weebly.com/kapikiri.html
Unfortunately Latmos Mountains are under the treat of mining which may results in widespread damage and distruction. However, I would like be optimistic. Because nothing would make me happier to see Latmos Mountains as a well protected cultural heritage site where travelers would visit and enjoy. With all its glory and beaty Latmos Mountains needs to be converved for future generations to admire. In the meantime I hope to reach out to people with my art and creations and spread the joy this graceful mountain gives me! See you until next time.
