The octagonal gemstones from Gordion: observations and interpretations

A rare octagonal gemstone form, previously understudied, emerges as significant in late Roman central Anatolia. Excavations at Gordion's cemeteries revealed three such gems (1st–4th century AD), alongside 182 others from a new corpus of 185 examples, suggesting local production and symbolic importance for military and early Christian communities. The study proposes that the shape held numeric/symbolic meaning, possibly linked to workshops in Ancyra or Caesarea, supported by analyses of gem type, dimensions, provenance, dating, and iconography.

Goldman, A. L. (2014). The octagonal gemstones from Gordion: observations and interpretations. Anatolian Studies, 64, 163–197. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0066154614000088