An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.25

v1.c15.s1.25

Several semiprecious stones were used for beads right from the times of the Harappa culture to the late medieval period. It would be futile to review the various shapes executed in the semiprecious beads. But a few observations in respect of certain materials and distinctive datable shapes may not be out of place. For example beads of alabaster or carbonate of lime have been reported only from Mohenjo-daro. Amazonite or green felspar beads are rather rare in India, which may be due to the brittleness of the material. Beads of amber are very rare obviously because it is not locally available but came to India possibly from the Baltic range through Roman traders and from Burma *via* Dacca during Mughal days. Beryl (*vaidūrya* of Indian literature) is found to have been used very rarely for beads though quality beryl is available in Ladakh in Kashmir and that of an inferior quality in Rajasthan, Bihar, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Carnelian and agate are by far the most profusely used materials for beads. The *Periplus* refers to a large-scale export of carnelian from Barygaza (Bharuch in Gujarat) and further states that carnelian also came to Khambat from PAITHAN and TER in Maharashtra. Carnelian beads—etched and plain—are also associated with the Megalithic burials of peninsular India [4.17.7-10] and in the foothills of the Himālayas it is used as a talisman for warding off fever. Next to agate and carnelian, crystal seems to have been widely used for bead-making, especially from the Mauryan period and in the initial centuries of the Christian era. Jasper is rather rare at the Harappa sites but is met with in the form of beads in post-Harappa Chalcolithic cultures [4.14], megaliths [4.17] and early historical sites [4.18]. Green jasper was supposed to have an amuletic value. Garnet beads are absent in the Chalcolithic sites but are a favourite in the early historical period. It is supposed to have been introduced to the w. through Alexander's conquests. Lapis is not indigenous to India, its major source being Badakshan in Afghanistan and Iran, but has been in vogue right from the 3rd millennium B.C. In the historical period square cylinder is the standardized shape. The few and far between lapis beads found in India present a soiled variety with dull white specks and has been found in the s. Indian megaliths as well. Onyx or layered agate has also a wider use in time and space as its beads have been reported from Mohenjo-daro and Chanhu-daro as well as from several early historical sites. About the beginning of the Christian era it was exported to the Roman empire from Bharuch. Opal beads are also rare in India because real opal is almost absent in India. Several varieties of quartz were used for the manufacture of beads but polished quartz beads became common in India from the beginning of the Christian era. Beads of turquoise are rare. Mohenjo-daro and the historical horizons at Charsada and RAIRH in Rajasthan have produced them. The material is absent in India and the best known source, at least for the Harappa sites, must have been the Persian province of Khorasan. Serpentine used for beads is reported from Harappa, from BRAHMAGIRI in the Megalithic context and from KAUŚĀMBĪ and AHICCHATRĀ in the early historical context. The material is found mostly in Afghanistan, but smaller deposits are also known in Kashmir, Andhra and Gujarat.