Gold bracelet from the 1st century CE, weighing an impressive 610 grams, is one of the remarkable artifacts discovered in Pompeii. The piece is adorned with a two-headed snake featuring glass eyes, which holds a medallion bearing an image of the goddess Diana.
The bracelet was found on the arm of a woman who perished during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. Two other adults and a child also died alongside her. According to findings related to the discovery, the victims were inside a building where a balcony had collapsed.
The serpent motif was present in Roman art and beliefs, potentially symbolizing – among other things – renewal, fertility, and protection. A medallion on the piece depicts Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, who is identified with the Greek goddess Artemis. It remains unclear, however, what specific significance these motifs held for the owner of the ornament.
The bracelet gave its name to one of the residences in Pompeii: the House of the Golden Bracelet (Casa del Bracciale d’Oro). Today, the artifact is housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
