[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989) › v1.c15.s1.2 # An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.2 An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c15.s1.2 - **Language:** English ### [v1.c15.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1.2) From the point of view of time-span evidence of the use of beads in India comes from the Mesolithic \[4.5\] and runs through all the subsequent periods till the late medieval. Within this vast chronological range the beads of dentalium shell from the Mesolithic/early Neolithic site of LANGHNAJ in Gujarat appears to be the earliest and seems to go back earlier than 2000 B.C. However recently stone beads have been reported from Phase I (\*c.\* 5000 to 2000 B.C.) of BAGOR in Rajasthan, though it is suspected that they might really belong to a subsequent phase dated between \*c.\* 2800 and 600 B.C. It will however be seen that the time-span of Phase II is very wide and even if the initial date of this phase, i.e. 2800 B.C., is accepted, the beads from Bagor could not have been very much earlier than those from Langhnaj. The next evidence, in point of cultural periods, belongs to the Neolithic \[4.6\], of which at least these sites deserve mention. TEKKALAKOTTA in Karnataka has given in a Neolithic context a variety of beads of shell, magnesite, agate, carnelian, terracotta and gold, assigned to Phase I of the cultural period designated as Neolithic-Chalcolithic and ¹⁴C dated to between 1675 and 1445 B.C. BURZAHOM in Kashmir has also produced from the Neolithic habitational remains, similarly dated to between 2375 and 1513 B.C., a piece of stone with two neat perforations which might indicate its use as an amulet or a pendant. The third Neolithic site is CHIRAND in Bihar. While some have doubted if Pd I of Chirand could be designated as Neolithic, it has given beautiful beads of carnelian and agate as also of faience and steatite, the latter two materials obviously having been imported from other regions. The topmost Neolithic level of Chirand has been dated to 1755 ± 155 B.C. which indicates that the initial habitations should be earlier in time. - [Previous: v1.c15.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1.1) - [Next: v1.c15.s1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1.3) - [Up: v1.c15.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.ghosh-1989.v1.c15.s1.2) · Pramāṇa