Science and Technology Studies | Open Access Articles

Beads As Chronological Indicators In West African Archaeology: A Reexamination, Christopher R. Decorse Jan 1989

Beads As Chronological Indicators In West African Archaeology: A Reexamination, Christopher R. Decorse

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

Drawing primarily on data obtained from recent excavations at Elmina, Ghana, this report examines the potential use of beads as temporal markers in West African archaeology. It is argued that although beads from West-African contexts are difficult to date, they provide more information than has previously been suggested. The Elmina beads are of particular interest as they can be closely dated by associated European trade materials. Preliminary results from the analysis of the 30,000 European and locally-made glass beads are discussed and findings from other West-African sites are evaluated.

Go to article

Beads Of The Early Islamic Period, Peter Francis Jr. Jan 1989

Beads Of The Early Islamic Period, Peter Francis Jr.

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

Beads from four sites involved in Early Islamic trade (7th to 12th century) are representative of the role the Muslim world played in the Indian Ocean Bead Trade. The continuation of Classical techniques, the Islamic trade's self-sufficiency, and the insight beads provide concerning past behavior are some of the issues explored.

Go to article

Diakhité: A Study Of The Beads From An 18th-19th-Century Burial Site In Senegal, West Africa, Marie-José Opper, Howard Opper Jan 1989

Diakhité: A Study Of The Beads From An 18th-19th-Century Burial Site In Senegal, West Africa, Marie-José Opper, Howard Opper

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

It is the intention of this paper to place the Diakhité beads into a historical and archaeological perspective, and by so doing examine a period in Senegambian history that roughly extends from the 18th century to around the middle of the 19th century. The beads serve as a focal point to describe the trade that brought them from Europe and elsewhere to Senegambia. They also help portray some aspects of the lives of a particular ethnic group which inhabited the Thies area during this period- the Serer Nones.

Go to article

The Beads Of St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles, Karlis Karklins, Norman F. Barka Jan 1989

The Beads Of St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles, Karlis Karklins, Norman F. Barka

BEADS: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers

Archaeological excavations conducted on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius over a seven-year period produced a wide array of 18th to early 20th-century beads of glass, coral and carnelian. Detailed descriptions of the recovered specimens are supplemented by information concerning their distribution, relative frequencies, color preference, temporal placement, origins, acquisition and use. Comparative site data are also provided.

Go to article

Beads: Journal Of The Society Of Bead Researchers - Volume 1 (Complete) Jan 1989