Jewelry

Faience beads of different shapes and colors were found in the bead pot (83). Some of these appear to be imitations of the natural stones; deep azure blue lapis lazuli, blue-green turquoise and banded to imitate banded agate. A red-brown glass-like… >

Experimental manufacture of steatite beads helps us to understand the intricacies of the process. The thin wafers are perforated and then strung on a cord to grind and polish them prior to firing. >

Tiny steatite microbeads (less than 1mm in diameter) such as those seen here were probably perforated with a sharpened copper wire, while stone drills with larger tips were used for carnelian, lapis, and amazonite beads. >

The long carnelian beads at the bottom of this image are among the most distinctive products made during the height of the ancient Indus civilization. Dr. Kenoyer writes (Ancient Cities, pp. 162): "Many of the long carnelian beads were traded as … >

A collection of faience ornaments from Harappa. The Harappans developed a very compact glassy faience that was produced in a variety of colors, ranging from white, to blue green, deep blue and even red-brown. On the left is a disc shaped ornament of… >

This bead was thought to be the earliest glass in the subcontinent, dating at least to 1700 BC. Trench 38, Late Harappan Period. However, subsequent analysis in 2008 has determined that it is not glass, but some form of crystalline rock. >

Many broken and some complete faience beads of different colors were recovered in the eroded surface layers of the slope on the south side of Trench 54. >

Flakes of various shades of agate, carnelian, jasper, chert, and lapis lazuli indicate the range of raw materials being processed in this part of Harappa during the Ravi phase. All of these raw materials were brought to the site from distant resourc… >

These tiny steatite beads were found in the Harappan cemetery and come from an elaborate hair ornament worn by a male individual. Each bead is less than .01 cm long and less than .01 cm diameter. A human hair is shown to give an idea of the minute s… >

The beads in the top three rows of from the bead pot (83) were drilled with tapering holes, possibly with tubular drill or tapered cylindrical drill. The green beads are amazonite, banded agate, jasper. The rest are carnelian. The beads in the bo… >