Harappan bead-making
Topic: Harappan (Sindhu-Sarasvati) Civilisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Bricks, Beads and Bones"
Meaning
Bead-making was one of the main Harappan crafts. Beads were made from carnelian, jasper, crystal, quartz and steatite. They were also made from copper, bronze and gold, and from shell, faience and terracotta. Shapes included disc, cylinder, sphere, barrel and segmented forms. Some beads were incised, painted or etched, and some were stone with gold caps. Stone beads went through several steps: chipping, flaking, grinding, polishing and drilling.
Example
At Chanhudaro in Sindh, and at Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat, archaeologists found specialised drills for boring holes in beads. These belong to the Mature Harappan phase (c. 2600–1900 BCE). Harappan carnelian beads travelled as far as Susa in Iran.
Don't confuse with
- Steatite micro-beads: one tiny kind of bead. How they were made is still a puzzle. The general process of bead-making is much better understood.
Related concepts
- Chanhudaro
- Carnelian
- Carnelian beads
- Steatite
- Faience
- Lapis lazuli
- Shortughai
- Khetri copper region
- Harappan bronze
- Daimabad bronzes