An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.20

v1.c15.s1.20

As in technique Indian beads show quite a range in the use of materials. The materials can be grouped into three broad categories, to wit: non-stone, comprising materials like steatite, metals, wood, ivory, glass, etc.; semiprecious stones, like carnelian, agate, etc.; and precious stones. Some materials are restricted to certain time-spans and some others to specific regions. For instance steatite is known to have been employed for beads in the Harappa as well as post-Harappa sites—discs, short cylinders and segmented ones being the favourite shapes. Steatite was also used in turning out in moulds shapes like those of the star, chamfered cubes, etc. Similarly spacers and terminals were also moulded in steatite and some beads in this material were also painted. Steatite continued to be used, on the present showing, up to the initial centuries of the Christian era. Like steatite faïence was also a favourite material in the Harappa and Chalcolithic cultures. Decorations like carving and glazing were also associated with faïence. While faïence continued for some time later, it is totally absent in the Mauryan period but occurs again for a few centuries of the Christian era. While there is not much evidence of the use of bone and ivory, shell was used extensively right from the Chalcolithic to the medieval period. In most cases these beads display marks of sawing or rubbing. At the early historical sites, along with shell ivory was also employed and TER, BESNAGAR and UJJAIN were well-known centres of ivory working. Like ivory coral was also utilized for beads and amulets but rather scantily. Since the Mediterranean coral is deeper in colour than the Indian it was imported into India, and hence one comes across a relative abundance of coral in the initial couple of centuries of the Christian era. The very nature of coral twigs helped to turn out short cylinder beads. However amulets shaped like the *tri-ratna* are reported from a number of Buddhist *stūpa* sites. Dentalium, used for beads, has so far been reported from the Mesolithic site of LANGHNAJ in Gujarat and needs no further comment.