Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v1.c16.s2.t1.4

v1.c16.s2.t1.4

The lapidaries of proto-historic Navdatoli excelled in the making of beads of faience and steatite. Tiny micro-beads of steatite were fashioned probably on a thread as in the workshops of Chanhu-Daro. The thread got burnt during firing. 95 per cent of the faience beads must have been dipped in liquid glazes before firing. The coating was either a white or a bluish glaze, the latter dominating. Shell beads were found in association with scores of waste pieces of the columella of shells.