Wire Wrapping Appeared Before the Wheel: Ancient Jewelry That Is 6,400 Years Old

Author: Iuliia (Yulia) Pavlenko, Wire Wrapping artist since 2017
Date: February 2025

I researched the origins of Wire Wrapping and discovered that it appeared much earlier than commonly believed. Many sources mention a date around 2000 BCE, but I found evidence that this technique existed as early as 4400 BCE. One of the oldest pieces of jewelry created using the Wire Wrapping technique is kept in the Archaeological Museum of Varna. In this article, I will tell you about it.

Wire Wrapping, a jewelry-making technique, is far older than one might assume. Its origins date back to an era long before the invention of the wheel, writing, and great civilizations. This is confirmed by archaeological findings dating to approximately 4400–4200 BCE.

The Varna Treasure and the Origins of Wire Wrapping: Gold That Is 6,400 Years Old

In 1972, on the outskirts of the Bulgarian city of Varna, one of the world’s oldest burial sites, known as the Varna Necropolis, was discovered by chance. Archaeologists unearthed 294 graves, among which the burial of a wealthy man—presumably a chieftain or priest—stood out. His grave contained more than 1.5 kg of gold jewelry, a scepter, and other valuable items, indicating a high social status.

As a Wire Wrapping artist, one of the most fascinating details of this discovery for me was the presence of gold rings bent from thin wire, confirming the early use of Wire Wrapping techniques. These artifacts prove that people at the time already knew how to manipulate soft metals, bending them without soldering or casting, creating jewelry solely through the material’s malleability and the craftsman’s skill.

How Long Ago Did Wire Wrapping Emerge?

To grasp just how ancient Wire Wrapping is, let’s compare this period with other historical events:

• Ancient Egypt and its first pharaohs emerged around 3100 BCE—1,300 years after the appearance of Wire Wrapping!
• The Egyptian pyramids were built around 2600 BCE, which is 1,800 years later than the creation of the Varna jewelry.
• The wheel was invented around 3500 BCE, meaning the craftsmen of Varna worked with wire 900 years before humanity conceived the wheel!

Thus, ancient Bulgarian artisans were mastering metalwork long before the rise of civilizations we consider ancient today. Wire Wrapping, in its earliest form, emerged at a time when humans were just beginning to work with gold and copper.

What Does This Mean for the History of Jewelry?

The artifacts from the Varna Necropolis prove that Wire Wrapping is one of the oldest metalworking techniques. It was a pioneering step in jewelry-making, allowing the creation of ornaments without casting or soldering. Ancient craftsmen already understood how to utilize the flexibility of metal to shape intricate forms, and their methods anticipated the development of jewelry artistry.

Today, Wire Wrapping continues to evolve, but its roots trace back to an era when the world had yet to discover the wheel. Modern artists practicing Wire Wrapping are carrying on traditions that are over 6,000 years old—traditions of the world’s first jewelers.

Источники:
Archaeological Museum Varna (Bulgaria) https://www.museumvarna.com/virtual/archaeo-museum/virtualni-razhodki/index.html

Official tourist portal of Varna Municipality (Bulgaria) https://visit.varna.bg/ru/varna_oldest_gold_treasure_in_the_world.html