Beads

NOT FINISHED- WORK IN PROGRESS

Back to top: Beads

Introduction

Beads are the most common form of body adorning. Beads are also the most ancient one, where shell beads have been found in Morocco dating to almost 140,000 years old. This longing to self-expression through the adorning of the body is a concept that was shared by all humans throughout history. Beads, in their different forms and materials, reflect status and expressed identity. Beads are important as they tell a chapter of the evolution of not only concepts about identity but of manufacturing techniques and production tools as well, as we follow their evolution from natural shell beads to a more complex industry that relies on the knowledge in the types of adequate stones, sourcing them and their drilling and polishing methods.

Beads, made from different materials, are abundantly present in Urkesh in many shapes, sizes and colors. These beads were used to make necklaces in most cases as it shows from some of the burials where the beads were found near the hoyed bone indicating that the deceased was buried wearing a bead necklace . Some of these beads are very simple, like clay beads, round or disk shaped. Others are more sophisticated and elaborate in shape such as the narrow edge cylindrical beads or the incised ones, made from precious and semi-precious stones and materials, such as lapis lazuli, carnelian, and gold.

Beads recovered from Urkesh are made from A) natural material like shells where they are made into a bead by perforating it. B) natural stones that required more work in terms of shaping then drilling the perforation such as Agate, lapis lazuli, Quartz…etc. C) metal, where much preparation is needed to smelt the metal and work it and D) artificial materials like glass, frit and faience where a number of materials are combined together to make these materials.