Men and Metals on the Move: The Case of Euboean Gold

This paper investigates the Euboean involvement in the circulation of metals, specifically gold, in the 8th and 7th c. BC. Rather than focusing on the distribution and consumption of luxury items, their style, and the craftsmen who produced them, we explore the production and circulation of gold as a raw metal, reconstructing its use as a form of money in the context of Euboean trade networks.
At the centre of this reconstruction stands the Late Geometric gold hoard from Eretria. This hoard consists of cut pieces of precious metal – hackgold – and has been regarded as possible evidence for the use of money in the Greek world prior to the introduction of coinage. Presenting new archaeological evidence alongside a detailed study of the hoard, we trace the Eretria gold back to its placer sources around the Thermaic gulf. Through their colonial presence in the region – at the Eretrian colony of Methone for instance – the Euboeans maintained a supply of gold, enabling them to benefit from its use in trade networks. In this context, Euboean specialist traders adopted gold for carrying out transactions with a high level of precision, thus pioneering the use of precious metal money in the Greek world. This innovation would serve as an anchor for the later introduction and spread of coinage, leaving a lasting impact on the ancient world. The memory of the Euboeans’ role in this process was likely preserved in later times.