society, female as well as male, were marked out with gold in death, to
represent the link between their responsibilities in decision-making and
action on behalf of their communities and the duties that they owed as a
result in the metaphysical sphere.^37 The sheet-gold work that forms such
a prominent component of sixth-century Macedonian burials came from
a mine or mines that have not yet been identified. The Odrysian kings
also had exceptional access to gold and silver reserves. The coincidence
of known mines and gold artefacts, made from a similar, high-carat gold,
in the river valleys at the western end of the Thracian Plain, indicates a
close connection between mining and the consumption of gold and silver
around Strelcha and Panagyurishte on the northern tributaries, Assenov-
grad and the far western parts of Rhodope and the southern tributaries of
the River Hebros, singled out by Pliny for gold mining (NH33.66; cf. Luc.
Fugitivi,24:ðïºfò åæıóeò X iæªıæïò OæýôôåôÆØ, referring to the area of
Philippopolis). These resources are less prominent in the works of ancient
authors, because they were not the locus of inter-state competition.^38
The cumulative evidence about gold mines and how they were
exploited suggests that it would be incorrect to view mining rights
exclusively in terms of kings, but rather to see a gradual evolution of
rights of access in relation to how gold was used by northern societies. In
the sixth centurybc, gold and silver retained their significance as
markers of élite social identity. In the course of thefifth century, the
intense interest in gold and silver resources by many different users
within the lower Strymon area and in the Pangaion district seems to
have provoked a change in social practices too. Gold continued to be
used in élite burials, but it was no longer deployed in the quantities that
had been used in the past.^39 The lack of response to Thucydides’expect-
ations of support from local peers may nevertheless be more apparent
than real. The historian did retire to this region. There is every reason to
believe that he did benefit from these dynastic connections. As we shall
see in Chapters 6 and 8, the aristocratic circles of the laterfifth centurybc
in the Strymon, Nestos, and Hebros valleys were still embedded in a
social matrix that recognized the validity of hereditary roles, epitomized
in the wearing of gold-sheet jewellery. The external use of the metal
began to change only gradually in the more competitive environment of
this period. The further intensification of the exploitation of precious
(^37) See further Ch. 8.
(^38) See Archibald 1998, 22–3 andfig. ix; Tonkova 2000, 138 mapfig. 2, for gold and silver
reserves in Thrace.
(^39) See Ch. 8.
Regionalism and regional economies 209