This large (almost 5-inch-long) pendant was carved out of amber in about 600 BCE. It is Etruscan work, made by an artist whose homeland was north of Rome in Etruria. By this time the Etruscans had gained power over a large area of central Italy, including Rome, and an Etruscan king was in power in Rome. Amber was a beautiful material, and the pendant’s size implies a wealthy owner. This carved piece is three-dimensional and shows a wooden ship carrying seven people. It is a merchant vessel with a rounded belly to hold lots of cargo (traded objects). Such ships sailed along the coast of Italy and into the Mediterranean Sea to trade. Seafaring in small vessels was dangerous, and shipwrecks were always a risk. Merchants had to accept losses. Sailors had to understand winds, currents, and stars.

Six sailors with round faces and short hair sit in the middle of the pendant ship. They face outward, three on each side, back-to-back. Next to them is a seventh person, perhaps a passenger or the captain. He has a long beard and hair. He sits higher up than the others, toward the stern (back) of the ship, in profile. From either side of the pendant, a viewer can see him facing three people who are looking out at us. This man leans against a rectangular cabin and seems to be holding a sack. There is one hole at each end of the ship and one hole in the middle (between two sailors’ necks) for hanging the pendant.

An amber ship may have symbolized sea travel, in general, or a merchant’s trade in amber. It may have been carved because of a successful or especially dangerous voyage. Perhaps it even showed a journey to the afterlife. Or maybe the owner just enjoyed the tales in Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus, the hero of the Odyssey, sailed home across the Mediterranean after many dangerous adventures, bringing a cargo of gifts. Whatever the ship’s story was, the pendant was likely an amulet, providing magical support. Amber has special qualities. It reflects light and looks liquid or glows like fire. It becomes warm when it is held. It can also float. The ancient Roman author Pliny the Elder wrote of its ability to heal and protect from harm.

Magic, religion, and medicine were connected in antiquity. Supernatural help was often needed, especially during life changes and transitions (birth, marriage, travel, disease). An amulet could be intended to prevent specific harm or provide a general defense against illness and bad fortune. Amulets were carried, worn as jewelry, and hung in homes and shops. They were also placed in tombs as burial gifts. Some amulets needed a special chant or prayer to activate them. Others were made of materials, like amber, thought to have natural powers.

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