Pendant fragment. Culture: Sasanian. Dimensions: 0.84 x 1 in. (2.13 x 2.54 cm). Date: ca. 3rd-7th century A.D..This small broken fragment of carnelian was probably originally a pendant. The portion of the pendant with the hole is no longer preserved. This fragment was excavated from a house at Ma'aridh I in the Ctesiphon area. The presence of semi-precious stones like carnelian indicate the wealth of the household.The city of Ctesiphon was located on the east bank of the Tigris River, 20 miles (32 km) south of modern Baghdad in Iraq. It flourished for more than 800 years as the capital of the Parthians and the Sasanians, the last two dynasties to rule the ancient Near East before the Islamic conquest in the seventh century. Systematic excavations in the Ctesiphon area were undertaken by an expedition in 1928-29 sponsored by the German Oriental Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft). The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Staatliche Museen, Berlin, undertook a joint expedition for one s