was photographed and interviewed at Ilorin in 1998. Metal (iron or steel) peckers were collected. Witnessed a polishing demonstration. Also at Ilorin, three old powder glass workers were interviewed with a demonstration. The jasper or "lantana" beads are common and you no doubt have some. It's an ancient industry, probably Hausa using material from the Northern Nigeria area.
There's an old article in "MAN" titled "Stone Beads from Ilorin", I think (ask Beadman). Also, a hint that the same work went on at Bida, although Etsu Nupe was not aware of it.
What does the literature say about pecking? Can you do it without metal tools? I would think the conical perfs are bow drilled. Visit the experts on these techniques. Meanwhile, some of the "neolithic" stuff would appear to be Cambay or some such. "Neolithic" is another standard marketing term to add flavor to value when selling.
The clay stuff? Always suspicious. JP used to say, at least, they're not new. They're pretty clean, intact, and uniform to have been dug up in these quantities. There's the other theory that they're made from powdered shards of old pottery, hence the "ancient" dating of these beads. It's been done with new pottery fakes.
Can you peck hard stone with deer antlers or some such?
