ABSTRACT This study investigates garnets in Hellenistic and Roman jewellery from the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (AMTh), Greece, using advanced non‐destructive analytical techniques. A total of 25 garnet samples, most of them from the region of Thessaloniki and ancient Pydna (modern Alykes Kitrous and Makrygialos), dating between the 3rd century BC and the 3rd/4th centuries AD , were analyzed using a mobile Raman spectrometer and micro‐Energy Dispersive X‐ray Fluorescence (micro‐EDXRF). The studied garnets are classified into three main groups: Cr‐poor pyrope (Cluster D), Intermediate pyrope–almandine (Cluster H), and Ca‐rich almandine (Cluster F). While Cluster D and Cluster F garnets are observed in both Pydna and Thessaloniki areas, Cluster H garnets, associated with sources in Sri Lanka, were identified exclusively in garnets from Thessaloniki, which might indicate differences in trading routes between Pydna and Thessaloniki cities. These findings provide valuable insights into the origin and cultural significance of garnets in antiquity, demonstrating the role of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia as a key centre in the Hellenistic and Roman gemstone market.
Nikopoulou et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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