Post: Post Reply: The Development of Drawn Beadmaking by Beadman

Original Message: The Development of Drawn Beadmaking

Hi Will,
Tubes of glass were made from very early times. However, the manufacture of canes expressly for beadmaking was much later. Later than 500 BCE. A comfortable date is around 100 BCE, but perhaps a bit earlier. Peter used to be in a race with himself to set the date farther and farther back in time. Last I'm aware, he was trying to make a case for ca. 300 BCE (which is still pretty early).
The curious thing is that drawn beads were developed almost simultaneously in Europe (the Mediterranean) and India. I think Peter would have liked for India to be the ultimate source. Early writings about Arikamedu (where Indo-Pacifi beads may have first been devised) suggested that, because it was a Roman outpost and entrepot, the Indians probably learned this beadmaking from them. Peter thinks it went the other way. It might just be simultaneous. The beads themselves are pretty different. Or at least some are.
The problem with assigning dates to beads based on the culture they derive from is the (understandable) human tendency to want to use the earliest date possible—even when there is no real evidence for it.
Take the instance of beads from Ban Chiang. When I went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum in 1983, they showed me the Ban Chiang beads they had scientifically excavated and dated. These were the opaque orange disks I mentioned above. I was told that at that time there was ZERO evidence that the (mainly) blue truncated bicone beads were from the Ban Chiang culture—because they had not been scientifically recovered. Some years later, I read that, in fact, they WERE Ban Chiang beads. BUT, they are LATE. Much later than you suppose.
Trade between Persia and China developed at about 500 BCE. At that time, is was essentially the exchange of goods between rulers. Perhaps there was also some "trickle down" happening too. At least soon thereafter. This was the beginning of the Silk Route. And the Silk Route itself encouraged the development of merchant exchanges. It was a while before sea routes were used instead of the Silk Route.
I have some good books on this topic, and I summarized all this in an article I composed on Javanese beads, in 1989. It was never published (because Peter nixed it to the publisher).
Jamey
Copyright 2024
All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users

Original Message: The Development of Drawn Beadmaking
Hi Will, Tubes of glass were made from very early times. However, the manufacture of canes expressly for beadmaking was much later. Later than 500 BCE. A comfortable date is around 100 BCE, but perhaps a bit earlier. Peter used to be in a race with himself to set the date farther and farther back in time. Last I'm aware, he was trying to make a case for ca. 300 BCE (which is still pretty early). The curious thing is that drawn beads were developed almost simultaneously in Europe (the Mediterranean) and India. I think Peter would have liked for India to be the ultimate source. Early writings about Arikamedu (where Indo-Pacifi beads may have first been devised) suggested that, because it was a Roman outpost and entrepot, the Indians probably learned this beadmaking from them. Peter thinks it went the other way. It might just be simultaneous. The beads themselves are pretty different. Or at least some are. The problem with assigning dates to beads based on the culture they derive from is the (understandable) human tendency to want to use the earliest date possible—even when there is no real evidence for it. Take the instance of beads from Ban Chiang. When I went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum in 1983, they showed me the Ban Chiang beads they had scientifically excavated and dated. These were the opaque orange disks I mentioned above. I was told that at that time there was ZERO evidence that the (mainly) blue truncated bicone beads were from the Ban Chiang culture—because they had not been scientifically recovered. Some years later, I read that, in fact, they WERE Ban Chiang beads. BUT, they are LATE. Much later than you suppose. Trade between Persia and China developed at about 500 BCE. At that time, is was essentially the exchange of goods between rulers. Perhaps there was also some "trickle down" happening too. At least soon thereafter. This was the beginning of the Silk Route. And the Silk Route itself encouraged the development of merchant exchanges. It was a while before sea routes were used instead of the Silk Route. I have some good books on this topic, and I summarized all this in an article I composed on Javanese beads, in 1989. It was never published (because Peter nixed it to the publisher). Jamey Copyright 2024 All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users

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