Pair of beads; Iberians, 5th–6th centuries.

Pair of Iberian beads, 5th–6th centuries.
Gold.
One of them has damage visible in the photo.
Measurements: 1 x 1 cm (x2).
Iberian society was highly hierarchical, with the warrior and noble class at the top. The priestly class rivaled it in power, and artisans were also highly regarded. Among neighboring peoples, and especially among the Greeks, Iberian warriors were particularly admired, as they threw themselves into battle fearlessly and fought to the death without retreating, even when the battle was already lost. In fact, the Greeks even went so far as to hire Iberian mercenaries for their own wars.