A wreath of nine oak leaves fashioned from fine hammered gold sheet and threaded onto gold wire together with a pierced cornelian bead. The fact that the leaves have not been soldered to the wire but are simply threaded on to it makes it difficult to ascertain whether they actually belonged to the same wreath or were put together at a later stage. Nonetheless, their uniformity suggests that they were part of the same ensemble. The overwhelming majority of extant gold wreaths come from graves and their particularly fine craftsmanship leaves no doubt that they were intended exclusively for the adornment of the dead. The custom is known from Archaic times, but became particularly popular during the Hellenistic period, especially in northern Greece (Macedonia, Thrace). For the ancient Greeks the wreath symbolised a prize for victory in a contest and was associated with festivities and triumphs. Its occurrence in burials may be related to new beliefs that appeared in Hellenistic times: life was seen as a trial that the deceased had passed successfully and, consequently, he or she was entitled to claim the prize of eternity. Gold wreaths are frequently found in the graves of rulers and other eminent members of society. However, the comparatively higher availability of gold in Hellenistic times –when the roads to the gold-rich East were wide open– meant that broader social strata had access to the noble metal.