Thank you for this enlightening thread. I do not remember previous info about the way morfias (or for that matter Islamic beads, and such) were actually worn. I do not see them on ancient paintings,or sculptures.The usual ancient Greek or Roman necklaces you see in museums are mostly light, tiny affairs, so to say understated ornaments, and chains with unconspicuous beads strung on them.(Perhaps richer graves were robbed sooner).
Once I asked our honored Beadman, and I got something like "naturally,they were TRADE beads". I was delighted, the fact dawned on my mind: "OMG, that's it, trade beads: used by... BARBARIANS".
Your info confirms this. Of course, Mauritanians, Bedouins and whoever was not belonging to their close circle (i.e. religion, language...) were deemed barbarians then.