stone, paste, shell and metal beads from sharm

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Arab. arch. epig. 2001: 12: 202–222 Copyright C Munksgaard 2001 Printed in Denmark. All rights reserved ISSN 0905-7196 Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm DIANE BARKER School of Archaeology, The University of Sydney, NSW Australia Eighty-seven beads of various materials are discussed according to the twelve typological groups into which they are divided. This typology is largely based on bead shapes, although manufacturing techniques and materials are also discussed. The beads are also compared to other assemblages in southeastern Arabia. Introduction A total of eighty-seven beads made from a variety of materials was recovered from the excavations at Sharm, Fujairah. The distribution was highly concentrated in the southern end of the tomb, particularly with respect to the ubiquitous stone and paste beads (Fig. 1). A selection of these beads is displayed in Figure 2. Sub- sequent analysis and comparisons con- firmed that these artefacts conform to the generally homogenous corpus of beads produced in the Oman Peninsula throughout a number of archaeological periods. An inventory of the beads on display in the Museums of Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Dubai and Sharjah, attests to the popularity of particular bead forms and materials during the Hafit Horizon, the Umm an-Nar and Wadi Suq periods and the Iron Age. As a result of the broad chronological ubiquity of this artefact class, the beads are generally unhelpful in the determination of the Sharm chron- ology, a matter best left to the architec- tural style, as well as to certain more di- 202 agnostic artefacts including the pottery, soft stone and metal objects (1). Methodology of classification The beads were grouped on the basis of morphology since scientific methods were unavailable in the U.A.E. to determine the precise nature of the materials. The morphological divisions of the bead assem- blages from Harappa (2) and Shimal Sites 1 and 2 (3) provided guidance for the major shapes. There are twelve general shapes, in ad- dition to a further group containing two beads of uncertain shape. In some in- stances, materials cross-cut shape, whereas in other instances, such as in the case of the flat disc beads, the material is largely uniform with respect to shape. In the latter case, nearly the entire group consisted of the same or similar material. This material was of uncertain origin and was therefore classified tentatively as either stone or paste, or in some cases, shell. It is im- portant in and of itself that the material

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Page 1: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

Arab. arch. epig. 2001: 12: 202–222 Copyright C Munksgaard 2001Printed in Denmark. All rights reserved

ISSN 0905-7196

Stone, paste, shell and metal beads fromSharm

DIANE BARKERSchool of Archaeology, The University of Sydney, NSW Australia

Eighty-seven beads of various materials are discussed according to the twelvetypological groups into which they are divided. This typology is largely basedon bead shapes, although manufacturing techniques and materials are alsodiscussed. The beads are also compared to other assemblages in southeasternArabia.

IntroductionA total of eighty-seven beads made froma variety of materials was recovered fromthe excavations at Sharm, Fujairah. Thedistribution was highly concentrated inthe southern end of the tomb, particularlywith respect to the ubiquitous stone andpaste beads (Fig. 1). A selection of thesebeads is displayed in Figure 2. Sub-sequent analysis and comparisons con-firmed that these artefacts conform to thegenerally homogenous corpus of beadsproduced in the Oman Peninsulathroughout a number of archaeologicalperiods. An inventory of the beads ondisplay in the Museums of Fujairah, Rasal-Khaimah, Dubai and Sharjah, attests tothe popularity of particular bead formsand materials during the Hafit Horizon,the Umm an-Nar and Wadi Suq periodsand the Iron Age. As a result of the broadchronological ubiquity of this artefactclass, the beads are generally unhelpful inthe determination of the Sharm chron-ology, a matter best left to the architec-tural style, as well as to certain more di-

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agnostic artefacts including the pottery,soft stone and metal objects (1).

Methodology of classificationThe beads were grouped on the basis ofmorphology since scientific methods wereunavailable in the U.A.E. to determine theprecise nature of the materials. Themorphological divisions of the bead assem-blages from Harappa (2) and Shimal Sites1 and 2 (3) provided guidance for the majorshapes.

There are twelve general shapes, in ad-dition to a further group containing twobeads of uncertain shape. In some in-stances, materials cross-cut shape, whereasin other instances, such as in the case ofthe flat disc beads, the material is largelyuniform with respect to shape. In the lattercase, nearly the entire group consisted ofthe same or similar material. This materialwas of uncertain origin and was thereforeclassified tentatively as either stone orpaste, or in some cases, shell. It is im-portant in and of itself that the material

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BEADS FROM SHARM

Fig. 1.Spatial distribution of the beads in Tomb I.

used for this particular bead shape is ap-parently uniform. Such an occurrence islikely to be related to the manufacturingprocess. In terms of those bead types withdifferent materials constituting the same

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shape, the taxonomic importance of thisobservation is undermined somewhat be-cause of the relatively few beads withineach of the remaining groups. The numbersin all groups, apart from the flat disc beads,only range from one to four beads. Obvi-ously, in terms of those groups containingone bead, there is an absolute coincidenceof both shape and material. As such, obser-vations on this correlation are superficialand hardly statistically relevant. Table 1summarises the correlation between beadshapes and their corresponding materials.The descriptive criteria used in the classifi-cation of the beads are outlined below. Theregistration database (Table 2) appears atthe end of this paper.

Flat disc (or micro-)beads (Fig. 3.1–4)These largely unremarkable beads arerounded or generally rounded in shape(with several exceptions), measuring nomore than 8 mm in diameter and 3.5 mmin thickness. Most examples are, however,between 6–7 mm in diameter and 1.5–3mm thick. Each bead was originally flat onboth surfaces, although many worn andchipped examples were noted in the as-semblage, possibly as a result of post-depo-sitional erosion and breakage. The perfor-ation consists of either a vertical or steppedhole, the latter feature possibly indicatingan aperture drilled from either end andmeeting in the centre (see below). The av-erage size of the perforations is between 2–3 mm, although most fall within the rangeof 2–2.5 mm. As noted, the beads appear tobe made of the same or similar material,probably stone, paste or shell, althoughsuch a claim is tentative in the absence ofdefinitive analysis. All of the examples ap-pear to have originally been creamy/whitein colour, although the surfaces are nowgreatly discoloured.

Flat disc beads are by far the mostcommon type in the collection, making up

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Fig. 2.A selection of beads excavatedfrom Tombs I and II at Sharm.Left to right: Row 1: S-391, 279,334, 333, 332, 338, 336, 335, 340,281. Row 2: 171, 280, 282, 228,174, 119, 275, 283, 153, 170. Row3: 10, 342, 350, 288, 246, 152, 287,351, 289. Row 4: 5, 42, 136, 325,327, 349, 326. Row 5: 11, 6, 2, 81.

75.9% of the total, with sixty-six individualspecimens. Such a figure is unsurprisinggiven the ubiquity of this type in differentassemblages from the Oman Peninsula andthroughout a number of different archae-ological periods in prehistory. They werefound in Shimal tomb SH 102 (4), and tomb

Table 1. Sharm beads, showing the correlation between shape and material.

Uncertain:(Other) stone, shell

Type Carnelian stone Shell Paste or paste Metal Total

FD – 5 3 2 56 – 66T – – – – 1 – 1SBC 1 – – – 1 1 3LBC 1 – – – – – 1SB 2 – – – 1 – 3TLB 1 – – – – – 1TSB – – 4 – – – 4S – 1 – – – – 1TT 2 – – – – – 2L 1 – – – – – 1PC – 1 – – – – 1PB – 1 – – – – 1Not – – – – 1 1 2discernibleTotal 8 8 7 2 60 2 87

Note: For a list of abbreviations see end of paper.

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6 (5), and earlier at Site 2 (6), made both ofshell and stone. Similar beads dated to theIron Age are also on display in the Na-tional Museum of Ras al-Khaimah. In com-parison, the disc beads excavated fromQidfa tomb 1 and on display in FujairahMuseum were given a date in the second

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half of the second millennium BC (ie. theend of the Wadi Suq period or the begin-ning of the Iron Age). This type was alsorecovered from the T-shaped tomb atBithnah and is thought to have been madeof shell, bone or ivory (7).

Tube bead (Fig. 3.5)Only one example of this type (S-42) wasrecovered from Tomb I at Sharm, makingup just over 1% of the bead assemblage.This form was defined on the basis of itselongated shape, its uniform diameteralong the length of the bead and its flatbase and apex. The perforation was drilledthrough the vertical axis, although it wasimprecisely executed, being slightly off-centre. It is similar in shape to a bead foundin Shimal tomb SH 102 (8).

Squat biconical beads (Fig. 3.6)This group consists of those small, stoutbeads with a definite carinated mid-sectionseparating a lower and an upper portion.The point of carination represents thewidest part of each bead, whilst the trunc-ated apex and the base are the narrowest.The general shape can be likened to twotruncated cones attached end-to-end. Theperforation extends through the long (ver-tical) axis. The four beads in this categoryare made from several different materials(carnelian, gold and stone or paste), andconsist of 3.5% of the total bead count fromthe site. The maximum diameters rangefrom 4.5–8 mm and the lengths range be-tween 3 and 9 mm, although the lattercomes from a badly broken gold bead (S-325) which was difficult to measure withany great degree of accuracy. This beadwas originally cast, and was found split inhalf, connected only by a small join to-wards one end (see Fig. 2). A find fromShimal tomb SH 102, consisting of amounting, hammered from a gold sheet,which was intended to cover a spherical

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Fig. 3.A selection of beads from Sharm, organised accordingto morphological types. Flat disc. 1: S-229; 2: S-174; 3: S-230; 4: S-120. Tube. 5: S-42. Squat biconical. 6: S-289. Longbiconical. 7: S-5. Squat Barrel. 8: S-395; 9: S-2; 10: S-349.Truncated squat barrel. 11: S-287; 12: S-288; 13: S-350.Truncated long barrel. 14: S-327. Truncated triangular. 15:S-394; 16: S-326. Spherical. 17: S-6. Lenticular. 18: S-10.Plano-convex. 19: S-246. Pillbox. 20: S-152.

bead (9), may indicate the original functionof the gold artefact from Sharm. In terms ofshape, the squat biconical bead, althoughsporting different names such as ‘truncatedbicone’, was quite common in the OmanPeninsula. It was found in tombs 102 and103 at Ghalilah (10) and earlier at Site 1, thelatter probably being made from carnelianor another form of chalcedony (11). Several

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carnelian examples were also found in thesettlement areas at Shimal (12). The squatbiconical beads from Bithnah, made fromcarnelian or agate, are directly comparableto Sharm’s S-289 (13). This shape was alsoattested at Qidfa tomb 1, as the beads ondisplay in Fujairah Museum testify.

Long biconical bead (Fig. 3.7)This category consists of a single bead(1.15% of the total) with an elongated, bi-conical profile. Like the squat biconicalbeads, it possesses a central carinationwhich is the widest part of the object. Thetruncated apex and the base are also thenarrowest areas and the central perforationcuts through the vertical (long) axis. Just asit was a rare shape at Sharm, so too was thelong biconical bead scarce at Shimal. Oneexample has been published from SH 102(14), with several more coming fromBithnah (15).

Squat barrel beads (Fig. 3.8–10)These stout, barrel-shaped beads withtruncated base and apex and bulging sidesconsist of a mere two examples or some3.5% of the total. The base and apex repre-sent the narrowest part of each bead,reaching a maximum width around thecentre of the bead’s body. The overallshape is reminiscent of the squat biconicalbeads, minus the prominent carination.The diameters for these two beads did notexceed 10 mm, with the minimum andmaximum thickness ranging between 5and 10 mm. As with the variation in size,the nature of the perforation differs foreach bead. S-2 possesses a central perfor-ation of approximately 2 mm in diameter,drilled directly through the material,whereas S-349’s 3–3.5 mm perforation wasapparently bored from both ends as evi-denced by the stepped platform in thecentre of the perforation where the twodrill operations met. There is no correlation

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between shape and fabric, with S-2 beingmade from veined carnelian andS-349 being made from some type of palestone or paste. The squat barrel was alsoknown from such sites as SH 102 (16) andBithnah (17).

Truncated squat barrel beads (Fig. 3.11–13)This type of bead is similar to the squatbarrel shape, but with a truncated base andapex which produces an even squatterform. Like the former type, the truncatedsquat barrel beads possess the bulgingbody that characterises the barrel shape.However, since this category includes someexamples with hollowed-out interiors, theclassification is based upon the generalshape. Four beads, all made of shell, com-prise this group and make up some 4.6%of the total bead count. The fact that thebeads were only (apparently) slightlymodified from a naturally-occurring formmeant that a degree of variation wasnecessary in the broad classification ofthese artefacts. Although each bead pos-sesses unique and natural spirals on itsunderside, the minor differences presentedby these features do not detract from thegeneral shape. A range of sizes is howeverapparent, despite the small number ofartefacts in this shape class, as shown bythe registration database (Table 2).

The perforation of S-350 is quite unlikethe others in this group. The spirals visibleon the underside of the shell constitute theouter edges of the perforation itself. Thehole, although narrow at the apex, becomesprogressively broader until it reaches itsmaximum diameter at the base of the bead.The spiraled perforation naturally results inthe stepped cross-section of the hole. Theperforations of the other beads in this groupare similar to the beads already discussed,with the holes being drilled on an angle tomeet in the centre and forming a slight stepbecause of the dual drilling operations.

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Truncated long barrel bead (Fig. 3.14)The single bead in this category is a variantof the truncated squat barrel types, with itsconcave sides and narrower truncated apexand base. However, it is distinguished fromthe squat barrel beads by its more elon-gated shape. This particular group, repre-sented by S-327 and making up 1.15% ofthe collection, consists of a well-preservedcarnelian specimen, with dark veinsthrough the material. The shape is quiteregular, with the apex and the base havingbeen carefully cut and polished. The per-foration is approximately 2 mm in diam-eter, with a central step indicating the holewas drilled in from either side through thevertical axis.

Truncated triangular beads (Fig. 3.15–16)An unusual shape, the truncated triangularcategory is comprised of two examples,both made of polished carnelian. The apexof both S-326 and S-394 are the narrowestpart of each bead, where the tip has beenremoved to form the truncation. Althoughthe front faces of each bead are similar, theprofiles are the reverse of each other. Thenarrow apex forms the tip of S-326,whereas the apex forms the widest part ofS-394, at 3.5 mm. However, each beadshares a similarly-executed perforation,which is cut horizontally through the apex.Each hole is approximately 1.5 mm in di-ameter, although the hole through S-394displays a stepped profile, indicating adouble drilling action. Both are relativelywell preserved, although the base of S-326appears to have broken off. Furthermore,the two faces of S-394 contain severalgrooves, possibly sustained during themanufacturing process. This particularspecimen is remarkably similar in appear-ance to a human tooth, and was in fact re-covered from the human skeletal materialduring study. Only one parallel for thisshape exists in the form of an Iron Age car-

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nelian bead from the Shimal settlement,displayed in the National Museum of Rasal-Khaimah.

Spherical bead (Fig. 3.17)The single spherical bead (S-6) recoveredfrom Tomb II was fashioned from a whitishstone, possibly crystal, and was recoveredin an excellent state of preservation. Itseven shape gives it a regular maximumthickness of 11 mm, with a centrally-posi-tioned perforation of 2.5 mm. This beadmakes up just over 1% of the assemblage.

Lenticular bead (Fig. 3.18)This category again comprises only one ex-ample (S-10) made from veined andpolished carnelian. The top view reveals alenticular-shaped cross-section, with theedges curving inwards to form the nar-rowest part of the bead. It was found inexcellent condition, and has retained itsvery regular shape. The 1.5 mm perforationwas drilled through the vertical axis, poss-ibly in a single action. Although the hole isrelatively well centred at one end, theangled nature of the perforation resulted ina slightly off-centre opening at the otherend. A similar-shaped bead was found atSite 2 at Shimal, but it is distinguishable byits double perforation (18).

Plano-convex bead (Fig. 3.19)One of the most interestingly shaped speci-mens in this category of artefacts is theplano-convex bead (S-246), with its flatbase, concave body and slightly truncatedends. It is made from a smooth, mottledgrey, black and white stone. It is quite reg-ular in shape, with a minimum thicknessof 7.5 mm and a maximum thickness of 14mm. The perforation, which ranges be-tween 3 and 3.5 mm, was drilled horizon-tally through the stone, with a stepped as-pect suggesting a double drilling action.The closest comparable example in terms

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of shape comes from SH 102, although itwas made from soft stone (19).

Pillbox bead (Fig. 3.20)This unusual shape is similar to the trunc-ated cone in the fact that the base has agreater diameter than the apex, yet thepillbox bead (S-152) has a more squatshape, with rounded sides and a hollowed-out interior. This is the only bead out of theentire collection made of soft stone. It hasthree perforations of 2 mm in diameter, onebeing on the top and two on opposite sidesof the bead. The perforation on the top ofthe bead is irregularly shaped, whereas theside holes are more regularly shaped, al-though one is broken. These latter holes re-duce the roundness of the bead when seenfrom the top view. Its presence in the tombmay be considered somewhat surprisinggiven that soft stone beads were unknownafter the third millennium in the OmanPeninsula (20). However, when one con-siders that a serie ancienne soft stone vesselwas also found at Sharm (21), the place-ment of older, or perhaps ‘family heirloom’style, objects in the tomb does not seem im-plausible. No parallel could be found forits unusual shape.

MiscellaneousThe two beads in this group were imposs-ible to classify because of their poor stateof preservation. S-136 (see Fig. 1) was orig-inally manufactured from a very fine goldleaf. However, the thinness of the materialmeant that it was easily crushed after de-position. Although the shape is not dis-cernible, the material itself remains in goodcondition. The perforation (in its currentcondition) is some 3.5 mm in diameter. Thesecond bead (S-235) was extremely brittleat the time of excavation, and unfortu-nately soon disintegrated. However, its di-mensions were recorded before its disinte-gration. It appears to have been made from

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a greenish paste that was once coated in abrown glaze.

Materials and manufacturing techniquesAs a result of the ubiquity of styles and ma-terials of beads in the Oman Peninsulathroughout the different archaeologicalperiods, it is more useful to examine themanufacturing techniques employed tomake the beads, and the materials fromwhich they were produced. These manu-facturing processes and the materials areoften linked, and it appears that differentmethods were employed according to thematerial used.

Carnelian and other stone beadsCarnelian sources have been traced toIndia, Afghanistan, eastern Iran and se-lected parts of the Arabian Peninsula but,so far, no sources have been identifiedspecifically in the Oman Peninsula (22).The lack of available sources may explainthe relative scarcity of carnelian beadscompared with the paste beads, for in-stance. In contrast, at Shimal, the majorityof the 906 beads from tomb SH 102 weremade from this type of stone (23).

Carnelian, a form of chalcedony, is a rela-tively hard stone, with a score of 7 on theMohs scale (24). It therefore requires a par-ticular type of lithic technology in order toproduce the type of beads found at Sharm.The method of production, according toVogt and Kastner, ‘...is fairly complicatedand tedious’ (25). It involves the initialcrushing of the stone in order to obtainworkable pieces. These were roughlyshaped, and finally polished, by rubbingthem back and forth against a harder ma-terial such as an abrasive (26). Benton sug-gests that the drilling of the perforationoften occurred between the formation ofthe blank and the rough shaping of thebead. However, several bead types from al-

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Sufouh were produced using an alteredmethod. They were roughly shaped fromthe blank and polished before they weredrilled using a rotating motion. Even then,the drilling was only partial. Indirect per-cussion was used to remove flakes on theopposite end of the partially-drilled hole,which was completed by rotating a tool towiden the hole (27). A different order isagain presented by Gwinnett and Gorelick,with the possibility that the nucleus wasfirst detached from a larger block orpebble, which was then shaped andsmoothed (in two separate actions), beforebeing perforated and polished. However,on the basis of their analysis of carnelianbeads from Iran, Gwinnett and Gorelickwere inclined to disagree with this method.Rather, they found that a number of beadshad been drilled prior to smoothing, butafter shaping. This method appears moreefficient given that less time would havebeen wasted on a bead which broke duringthe early stages of drilling, compared witha bead which broke after it had beendrilled, shaped and smoothed (28). It is dif-ficult to determine which method was usedfor the Sharm beads, although one cansafely assume that at least one of themethods was employed.

The existence of conchoidal fractures onsome of the beads, albeit small, indicatesthat the beads were fashioned using a chip-ping motion, in order to cleave flakes awayfrom the core (29). Drilling has been de-scribed as the most difficult aspect of themanufacturing process because of thehardness of the stone which required a toolmade of a material harder than the car-nelian itself (30). It was often achieved bya method of ‘double-perforation’. This in-volved the partial perforation of the stoneon one side, followed by a similar actionfrom the other end, with the result that thetwo drilling actions met in the centre of thebead (assuming, of course, that the perfor-

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ations were aligned). This form of drillingaction was consistently noted on the beadsfrom Sharm, evidenced by a step or ashoulder inside the perforation where thetwo drilling actions met. This ‘axial mis-alignment’ was perhaps due to a degree ofmovement during drilling and wear of thetool (31). The double-perforation methodwas used to avoid the possibility of frac-turing the material, which was likely if thebead was only bored from one end. Fur-thermore, the use of a conical, rather thana cylindrical point, had the practical func-tion of limiting the width of the hole inorder to avoid fracturing. The result is abiconical hole that reduced the amount ofmaterial which needed to be removed (32).This biconical bore also exists on many ofthe beads in the Sharm collection, but is notlimited solely to the carnelian ones. Beadsfeaturing such a ‘stepped’ bore are indi-cated in the registration.

Another common feature noted on thecarnelian and other stone beads from theSharm assemblage is the presence of a dis-tinct bevel surrounding the perforation ofthe bead. This feature is, in all likelihood,directly related to the manufacturing pro-cess and the nature of the materials. Be-cause of the hardness of the carnelian, onewould expect a high degree of lithic wearduring the drilling process. Thus, it hasbeen suggested that a small ‘well’ wasformed on either end of the bead prior tothe drilling action. The well is thought tohave held the abrasive material, whichwould increase the effectiveness of thedrilling action and the life of the tools. Thewell was only necessary during the initialstages of drilling since, as the hole deep-ened, the abrasive material would havebeen more easily contained. It was alsoused to help begin the drilling process (33).This feature was also noted on the car-nelian and sardonyx beads from ShimalSite 1 (34). Gwinnett and Gorelick have

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also suggested that the hardness of thestone is a chronological indicator in itself.They argue that softer stones were usedearlier in the Near East for the productionof beads and seals because of the lack ofmetal drills at this stage. It was not untillater, when metal drills were believed tohave been more common, that stonesranging in hardness from 4 to 7 wereworked. According to the authors, the timespans in which harder stones were usedencompass both the Wadi Suq period andthe Iron Age (35).

On stones within the Mohs range of 1 to6, including soft stone, it is likely that flintwas adequate for the drilling process. Onsuch stones, Gwinnett and Gorelick havefound that wood and copper drills aresimilarly efficient, even in conjunction withabrasive material. However, it is difficult toconfirm this assertion with respect toSharm’s single soft stone bead (S-152) be-cause of a lack of scientific analysis.

Paste beadsThe delicate nature and the small size of thepaste (flat disc) beads makes it unlikely thatthey were carved in the same manner as thestone beads. Rather, it is possible that theywere manufactured in a manner similar tothat of the Harappan microbeads. However,it must be remembered that the Harappan-type beads themselves do not continue be-yond the third millennium (36). Thus, itmust remain a tentative conclusion until aproper analysis is performed.

If the Sharm paste beads were manufac-tured in a manner similar to the Harappanmicrobead, the first step would have in-volved the crushing of a suitable soft stone,such as steatite, into a paste. The paste wasthen fed through a hole and cut to formindividual beads (37). Alternatively, thebeads may have been made from a fritpaste, as was the case at the third-millen-nium site of al-Sufouh (38). Whatever the

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exact composition of the paste, this scen-ario for the production of Sharm’s beads ispossible given the small size range for theexternal diameters of the beads and theperforations. The registration bears witnessto the similarities in sizes, which makes ithighly likely that a standardised form ofproduction was employed.

The only difficulty with this scenario isthe fact that many of the paste beadsshowed evidence of a step, or biconicalcore. This would seem to indicate that eachwas drilled separately. This is not imposs-ible, despite the small size of the beads,given that microliths were found earlier atShahr-i Sokhta and Tepe Hissar, which cor-responded to perforations in beads of lessthan a 1 mm in diameter (39). The use ofstandard drill heads would account for thesimilar perforation sizes evident in theSharm assemblage. How does one then ex-plain the apparent uniformity of externaldiameters of the beads? It is possible thatthe beads were formed from a paste, fedinto a long tube and then cut. From there,each individual bead may have beendrilled. Although this represents a morecomplicated method than merely drillingthe long tube bead, it may have been easierto drill small flat beads, as opposed to onelong bead. The apparent irregularity of anumber of the paste beads is explainableby the effects of several thousand years ofpost-depositional environmental factors,including the character of the soil and theapparent robbing of the tomb, which led toa greatly disturbed collection.

Shell beadsGiven the relative proximity of Sharm tothe coast, it is surprising that only fourbeads were definitely identified as shell.This is to be contrasted with the situationat Shimal tomb SH 102, where shell beadswere the second largest category in thatartefact class (40). However, this figure

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BEADS FROM SHARM

does not take into account the beads classi-fied as paste/stone or shell, and it also doesnot include those larger shell artefactswhich have been classified as ‘pendants’(41). The shells forming part of the flat disccategory were worked to form that shape,whereas in the case of the pendants, theapex was merely removed to form the per-foration, a distinction also seen at Bithnah(42).

Metal beadsOnly two metal beads were recovered fromthe Sharm excavations. Their poor preser-vation makes them of little use from amorphological perspective, although theywere useful for mineralogical analysis (43).Similar looking gold beads are displayed inDubai Museum and have been dated to thefirst half of the second millennium BC.

ConclusionThe inability to study the beads properlyhas left many questions unanswered, par-ticularly regarding the materials andmethods of manufacture. Furthermore, thebeads are generally unhelpful from achronological perspective. However, theparallels adduced from such sites as Shimaland Bithnah may lead to the conclusionthat the beads fit within the second- orfirst-millennium framework already sug-gested by the analysis of other, more diag-nostic materials from the tomb, such as thesoft stone and the ceramics. Thus, the pot-tery from Shimal was used to date Site 1 tothe second millennium BC, largely con-sisting of the Wadi Suq period, whereasSite 2 was dated to the early first millen-nium, or the Iron Age II period (44). Bothof these dates fit within the periods of useof the tombs at Sharm. However, thesimple shapes and common materials ofmany of the beads from Bithnah are notdatable in a precise manner because of the

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use of such beads from the second millen-nium well into the Islamic period. Suchartefacts were recognised as having a verydubious chronological value (45). As a re-sult of the chronological difficulties facedin the study of such a bead assemblage, theSharm beads are more useful in a study ofthe materials and manufacture, as well asfor a source of the different bead shapesused in the Oman Peninsula.

References1. See Vogt B & Kastner J-M. Tomb SH 102. In: B

Vogt & U Franke-Vogt, eds. Shimal 1985/1986: Ex-cavations of the German Archaeological Mission in Rasal-Khaimah, U.A.E.: A Preliminary Report. Berlin:BBVO, 8: 1987: 32, where it was determined thatthe beads from Shimal tomb SH 102 were chrono-logically irrelevant, despite similarities with beadsfrom graves at al-Qusais and Qattarah. See alsoCorboud P, Castella A-C, Hapka R & im-OberstegP. Les Tombes protohistoriques de Bithnah, Fujairah,Emirats Arabes Unis. Mainz: von Zabern, 1996: 84,on the chronological irrelevance of the beads fromBithnah.

2. Vats MS. Excavations at Harappa: Being an Accountof Archaeological Excavations at Harappa carried outBetween the Years 1920–21 and 1933–34, Volume II:Plates. Calcutta: Government of India Press, 1940:Pl. CXXIX and CXXX. The visual representationswere particularly helpful, despite the difference inchronology between Harappa and Sharm.

3. Donaldson P. Prehistoric Tombs of Ras al-Khaimah. OA 23: 1984: 210–212, 260–265.

4. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31–32, Fig. 16–17.5. de Cardi B. The Grave Goods from Shimal Tomb

6, Ras al-Khaimah, U.A.E. In: Potts DT, ed. Arabythe Blest: Studies in Arabian Archaeology. Copen-hagen: CNIP 7: 1988: Fig. 14.19–21.

6. Donaldson, Prehistoric Tombs: Fig. 29.62, 64.7. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: Pl. 28,

3–5; Pl. 29.17–18.8. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: Fig. 16.3.9. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 32.

10. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: Fig. 16.8, 12, 13.Vogt B & Velde C. Ghalilah tomb SH 103. In:Vogt & Franke-Vogt, Shimal: Fig. 28.7, 9.

11. Donaldson, Prehistoric Tombs: Fig. 13.13, 17, 19–20.

12. Velde C, Franke-Vogt U & Vogt B. Area SX.Franke-Vogt U. Area SY. In: Vogt & Franke-Vogt,Shimal: Fig. 48.12–13.

Page 11: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

13. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: Pl. 29.5–6, especially the former.

14. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: Fig. 16.8.15. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: Pl. 29.1–

4.16. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: Fig. 16.7, 17.4–5.17. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: Pl.

29.10.18. Donaldson, Prehistoric Tombs: Fig. 29.59.19. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: Fig. 17.9.20. Benton JN. Excavations at al-Sufouh: A Third Millen-

nium Site in the Emirate of Dubai. Brepols: ABIEL:I, 1996: 120.

21. See M. Ziolkowski, this volume.22. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 126.23. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31.24. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 122. Gwinnett

AJ & Gorelick L. Beadmaking in Iran in the EarlyBronze Age. Expedition 24/1: 1981: 11.

25. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31.26. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31. Gwinnett & Go-

relick, Beadmaking in Iran: 23.27. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 36, Table 14.

Chevalier J, Inzian ML & Tixier J. Une techniquede perforation par percussion de perles en corna-line (Larsa, Iraq). Paleorient 8/2: 1982: 57, Fig. 1;62, Fig. 7.

28. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Beadmaking in Iran: 11,Table 2, after Tosi M & Piperno M. Lithic Tech-nology Behind the Ancient Lapis Lazuli Trade. Ex-pedition 16: 1973.

29. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Beadmaking in Iran: 23.30. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31.31. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Beadmaking in Iran: 14, Fig.

9. Gwinnett AJ & Gorelick L. Ancient Lapidary.Expedition 22/1: 1979: 20, Fig 8A, B, 21, 23. This iscalled the ‘terracing effect’ in the latter article.

32. Piperno M. Micro-drilling at Shahr-i Sokhta: themaking and use of lithic drill-heads. In: Ham-mond N, ed. South Asian Archaeology: Papers from

212

the First International Conference of South Asian Ar-chaeologists Held at the University of Cambridge.London: Duckworth, 1973: 126–127.

33. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Beadmaking in Iran: 18.Gwinnett & Gorelick, Ancient Lapidary: 32.

34. Donaldson, Prehistoric Tombs: 210.35. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Ancient Lapidary: 31, Fig.

29.36. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 118.37. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 118. Hedge K. The

Art of the Harappan Microbead. Archaeology 36/2: 1983: 70, 72.

38. Benton, Excavations at al-Sufouh: 128.39. Gwinnett & Gorelick, Beadmaking in Iran: 10, 21.40. Vogt & Kastner, Tomb SH 102: 31.41. See the paper on the perforated objects by the

author (this volume).42. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: 83–84.43. See L. Weeks, this volume.44. Donaldson P. Prehistoric Tombs of Ras al-

Khaimah. OA 24: 1985: 131.45. Corboud et al., Les Tombes protohistoriques: 83–84.

Address:Diane BarkerSchool of Archaeology A14The University of SydneyNSW 2006Australia

Abbreviations (Table 1 and Table 2)FD: flat disc; T: tube; SBC: squat biconical; LBC: long bi-conical; SB: squat barrel; TLB: truncated long barrel;TSB: truncated squat barrel; S: spherical; TT: truncatedtriangular; L: lenticular; PC: plano-convex; PB: pillbox;D: diameter; MD: maximum diameter; L: length; T:thickness; MiT: minimum thickness; MT: maximumthickness; H: height; W: width; MiW: minimum width;MW: maximum width; int: interior; ext: exterior.

Page 12: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

BEADS FROM SHARM

Tabl

e2.

Reg

istr

atio

nd

atab

ase

for

the

Shar

mbe

ads.

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

213

/01

/97

II04

/06

104

–06

06–1

1su

rf-2

0cm

carn

elia

n7¿

5(M

iT),

SB2,

cent

rally

-E

xcel

lent

(2¿

5)7

(MT

)po

siti

oned

,co

ndit

ion,

fair

lyst

raig

htth

roug

hre

gula

rsh

ape

bead

518

/01

/97

I01

/13

31.

9613

.08

9.03

carn

elia

n12

¿4

(MiT

),L

BC

2,st

raig

htfa

irly

7.5

(MT

)th

roug

hve

rtic

alsy

mm

etri

cal

axis

thou

ghsl

ight

lyir

regu

lar

618

/01

/97

II04

/06

44.

607.

008.

73st

one-

crys

tal

11(D

)S

2.5,

cent

red

exce

llent

(2¿

5)(w

hite

-co

ndit

ion,

vein

ed)

high

lysp

heri

cal

1021

/01

/97

I02

/16

42.

0516

.56

8.70

carn

elia

n10

¿9¿

L1.

5,th

roug

hre

gula

rsh

ape,

0.5

(MiT

),lo

ngax

is,

exce

llent

2.5

(MT

)sl

ight

lyan

gled

cond

itio

n

1123

/01

/97

II04

/09

64.

989.

198.

45st

one

or2.

5(T

)¿6

(D)

FD2.

5,st

eppe

d,

wel

l-pr

eser

ved

,pa

ste

cent

red

slig

htly

wor

nan

dch

ippe

ded

ges

4227

/01

/97

I01

/15

501

158.

70–9

.60

past

e(?

)cl

ay12

.5(L

)¿T

c.2.

5,of

f-ce

ntre

irre

gula

rsh

ape,

(?):

very

soft

,5

(MiT

)¿d

impl

edsu

rfac

ew

hite

vein

s6

(MT

)

4928

/01

/97

I01

/17

41.

6817

.40

8.75

ston

eor

7(D

)¿FD

2,an

gled

and

chip

ped

onon

epa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

step

ped

sid

e,po

or2.

5(M

T)

cond

itio

n

8130

/01

/97

II05

/05

65.

845.

858.

38st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

,ir

regu

larl

y-pa

ste

(?)

1(M

iT),

angl

edsh

aped

,ver

y1.

5(M

T)

wor

ned

ges

972/

02/

97I

00/

09su

rfac

e0.

979.

479.

30st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2.5,

cent

red

,ve

rycr

ude

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

mar

gina

lly2

(MT

)st

eppe

d

119

4/02

/97

I01

/04

31.

684.

908.

87st

one

or6

(D)¿

FD2,

slig

htly

chip

ped

and

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),st

eppe

d,c

entr

edw

orn,

very

poor

3(M

T)

cond

itio

n

213

Page 13: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

Tabl

e2.

Con

tinu

ed

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

120

4/02

/97

I01

/09

301

099.

00–8

.80

ston

e7

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

dan

dfa

irly

circ

ular

,2.

5(M

iT)

angl

edsl

ight

lyw

orn

3.5

(MT

)ed

ges,

exce

llent

cond

itio

n

121

4/02

/97

I00

/13

70.

9513

.93

8.40

ston

eor

5(D

)¿FD

2.5,

cent

red

,not

fair

lyci

rcul

ar,

past

e(?

)1.

75(M

iT),

step

ped

som

ew

orn

2(M

T)

edge

s

136

5/02

/97

I01

/16

61.

6216

.49

8.57

gold

6(L

)¿3.

5(W

)no

t3.

5(?

)po

orco

ndit

ion

¿3

(H)

(?)

dis

cern

ible

(cru

shed

)

152

5/02

/97

I00

/12

30.

522.

308.

92st

one

12(D

)¿5

(T)

PB

thre

eho

les,

each

good

cond

itio

n2m

m,i

rreg

ular

,on

ebr

oken

153

5/02

/97

I01

/16

61.

9116

.66

8.55

ston

e5

(D)¿

2(T

)FD

1.5,

very

slig

htly

irre

gula

r(p

olis

hed

?)st

eppe

dan

dci

rcul

arsh

ape,

angl

edd

isti

nct

edge

s,ex

celle

ntco

ndit

ion

170

7/02

/97

I01

/15

71.

4215

.09

8.42

ston

eor

7.5

(D)¿

FD2.

5,an

gled

and

regu

lar,

wel

lpa

ste

(?)

3(M

iT),

step

ped

roun

ded

,goo

d3.

5(M

T)

cond

itio

n

171

7/02

/97

I00

/04

41.

674.

088.

70st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

3,sl

ight

lyex

celle

ntpa

ste

(?)

2.5

(MiT

),st

eppe

dan

dco

ndit

ion

3.5

(MT

)an

gled

172

7/02

/97

I00

/07

40.

857.

838.

70st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

,not

wor

nan

dpa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

angl

edch

ippe

ded

ges,

2.5

(MT

)po

orco

ndit

ion

173

7/02

/97

I01

/09

41.

479.

838.

70st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

2.5–

3,sl

ight

lygo

odco

ndit

ion

past

e(?

)2.

5(M

iT),

step

ped

and

3(M

T)

angl

ed

174

7/02

/97

I01

/09

41.

579.

158.

69st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

3,ce

ntre

d,

wor

ned

ges,

past

e(?

)0.

5(M

iT),

slig

htly

step

ped

very

poor

2.5

(MT

)co

ndit

ion

214

Page 14: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

BEADS FROM SHARM

228

8/02

/97

I02

/10

surf

ace

0210

9.51

ston

e(?

)7.

5(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

and

wor

ned

ges,

av-

past

e(?

)3

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyan

gled

erag

eco

ndit

ion

3.25

(MT

)

229

8/02

/97

I01

/09

61.

909.

378.

50st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

2.5,

cent

ral,

not

aver

age

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),st

eppe

dco

ndit

ion

shel

l(?

)2.

5(M

T)

230

8/02

/97

I00

/04

50.

804.

638.

61st

one

(?)

8(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

and

fair

lyre

gula

rpa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

angl

edd

isc

shap

e,2.

5(M

T)

good

cond

itio

n

231

8/02

/97

I00

/04

50.

774.

238.

61st

one

(?)

6.5

(D)¿

FD1.

5,of

f-ce

ntre

,ex

celle

ntpa

ste

(?)

2.5

(MiT

),st

eppe

dco

ndit

ion,

3(M

T)

regu

larl

y-cu

rved

exte

rior

235

8/02

/97

I01

/04

51.

774.

608.

61gr

eeni

sh-

9(D

)un

know

nN

/A

red

uced

togl

azed

past

e(c

rush

ed)

frag

men

ts

237

8/02

/97

I01

/04

51.

304.

108.

68st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2,sl

ight

lyof

f-po

orco

ndit

ion,

past

e(?

)1

(MiT

),ce

ntre

wel

l-ro

und

ed1.

5(M

T)

but

very

wor

non

one

sid

e

238

8/02

/97

I01

/05

41.

565.

658.

72st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿1.

5(T

)FD

2,ce

ntre

d,

very

poor

past

e(?

)st

eppe

dco

ndit

ion,

shel

l(?

)re

mna

nts

ofbu

ff-c

olou

red

glaz

eor

oute

rsu

rfac

eof

shel

l(?

)

239

8/02

/97

I01

/05

501

058.

62st

one

(?)

5.75

(D)¿

FD1.

5,st

eppe

d,

very

poor

past

e(?

)1.

25(M

iT),

slig

htly

off-

cond

itio

n,w

orn

shel

l(?

)1.

5(M

T)

cent

rean

dch

ippe

ded

ges

onon

esi

de

240

8/02

/97

I00

/06

40.

676.

018.

71st

one

(?)

5.5

(D)¿

FD2.

5,ce

ntre

d,

aver

age

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyst

eppe

dco

ndit

ion

2.5

(MT

)

Tabl

e2.

Con

t.

215

Page 15: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

Tabl

e2.

Con

tinu

ed

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

241

8/02

/97

I00

/06

40.

756.

588.

77st

one

(?)

5.5

(D)¿

FD2,

step

ped

and

circ

ular

wit

hfl

atpa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

angl

edba

sean

dsl

ight

ly2.

5(M

T)

conc

ave

top,

dis

tinc

ted

ges,

good

cond

itio

n

242

8/02

/97

I01

/05

41.

025.

958.

72sh

ell

5(D

)¿FD

1.5,

cent

red

,ve

ryir

regu

lar,

1(M

iT),

step

ped

due

tow

orn,

poor

2.5

(MT

)na

tura

lsp

iral

sco

ndit

ion

243

8/02

/97

I00

/08

60.

560.

998.

64st

one

(?)

5.5

(D)¿

FD2,

step

ped

and

chip

ped

and

past

e(?

)2.

25(M

iT),

angl

edab

rad

ed,

2.5

(MT

)av

erag

eco

ndit

ion

246

8/02

/97

I01

/06

41.

806.

558.

72m

ottl

ed21

(L)¿

PC

3–3.

5,th

roug

hex

celle

ntst

one

7.5

(MiT

),ho

rizo

ntal

axis

,co

ndit

ion,

14(M

T)¿

step

ped

,slig

htly

regu

lar

10.5

(H)

angl

ed

251

8/02

/97

I01

/08

61.

378.

928.

58st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2–3.

5,st

eppe

d,

roug

hly

circ

ular

,pa

ste

(?)

1(M

iT),

wid

eron

one

flat

onon

esi

de,

2(M

T)

sid

eth

anon

the

unev

enan

dot

her

chip

ped

onth

eot

her

252

8/02

/97

I02

/11

72.

1011

.62

8.34

ston

e(?

)7

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

dbu

tsl

ight

lyw

orn

past

e(?

)2.

5(M

iT),

not

angl

eded

ges,

aver

age

3(M

T)

cond

itio

n

253

8/02

/97

I01

/11

71.

2411

.38

8.42

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD1.

5–2,

step

ped

chip

ped

and

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),an

dan

gled

wor

ned

ges,

2.25

(MT

)ot

herw

ise

aver

age

cond

itio

n

270

9/02

/97

I01

/18

61.

7718

.06

8.6

ston

e(?

)5.

5(D

)¿FD

2.5,

cent

red

,sl

ight

lypa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

slig

htly

step

ped

irre

gula

r,w

orn

2.5

(T)

edge

s,po

orco

ndit

ion

216

Page 16: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

BEADS FROM SHARM

271

9/02

/97

I00

/07

70.

557.

998.

45st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2,st

eppe

d,n

otch

ippe

d,w

orn

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

angl

eded

ges,

aver

age

2.5

(T)

cond

itio

n

272

9/02

/97

I01

/07

51.

477.

548.

65st

one

(?)

7.5

(D)¿

FD2,

angl

edan

dav

erag

epa

ste

(?)

2.5

(MiT

),st

eppe

dco

ndit

ion

3(M

T)

273

9/02

/97

I00

/07

70.

507.

558.

49sh

ell

(?)

5.5

(D)¿

1.5

(T)

FD2,

cent

red

,ve

ryab

rad

edst

eppe

dan

dch

ippe

don

edge

san

dfa

ces

274

9/02

/97

I01

/05

51.

445.

778.

68st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

1.5,

step

ped

but

regu

lar

wit

hpa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

not

angl

edw

orn

edge

s,2.

5(M

T)

aver

age

cond

itio

n

275

9/02

/97

I01

/05

51.

735.

98.

68st

one

or6

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

d,n

otve

rysm

ooth

past

e(?

)1.

25(M

iT),

angl

edan

dci

rcul

ar,

1.75

(MT

)sl

ight

lyco

ncav

eto

pan

dbo

ttom

,ve

rygo

odco

ndit

ion

276

9/02

/97

I01

/05

51.

365.

358.

62sh

ell

6(D

)¿FD

1.5,

step

ped

and

poor

cond

itio

n1.

5(M

iT),

angl

ed2

(MT

)

277

9/02

/97

I01

/06

51.

356.

388.

60st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2,st

eppe

d,b

utsl

ight

lyw

orn,

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),no

tan

gled

good

cond

itio

n2.

5(M

T)

278

9/02

/97

I00

/07

70.

867.

978.

41st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2–3.

5,an

gled

slig

htly

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

and

step

ped

irre

gula

r,ve

ry2

(MT

)w

orn

edge

s

279

9/02

/97

I01

/06

51.

766.

78.

70st

one

6.5

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

dan

dw

ell-

roun

ded

,2.

5(M

iT),

slig

htly

angl

edd

isti

nct

edge

s,3

(MT

)ex

celle

ntco

ndit

ion

280

9/02

/97

I00

/05

50.

195.

068.

61st

one

(?)

7.5

(D)¿

FD3.

25,s

light

lyve

rycr

ude,

past

e(?

)1

(MiT

),st

eppe

d,

bad

lypr

eser

ved

2.25

(MT

)ce

ntre

d

Tabl

e2.

Con

t.

217

Page 17: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

Tabl

e2.

Con

tinu

ed

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

281

9/02

/97

I01

/10

71.

0610

.12

9.49

ston

e(?

)8

(D)¿

FD2,

step

ped

and

abra

ded

and

past

e(?

)3

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyan

gled

wor

n3.

5(M

T)

282

9/02

/97

I00

/09

70.

709.

368.

50st

one

(?)

8(D

)¿FD

2.5,

slig

htly

wor

ned

ges,

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

step

ped

,ang

led

good

cond

itio

n2.

5(M

T)

283

9/02

/97

I00

/05

50.

905.

878.

61st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2,ce

ntre

d,

roug

hly

circ

ular

,0.

75(M

iT),

slig

htly

step

ped

very

crud

e,1.

5(M

T)

unev

en,

chip

ped

and

wor

ned

ges/

sid

es

284

9/02

/97

I00

/05

50.

935.

888.

63st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

1.5,

step

ped

,not

slig

htly

wor

n,pa

ste

(?)

1.5

(MiT

),an

gled

aver

age

2(M

T)

cond

itio

n

285

9/02

/97

I00

/05

60.

655.

448.

56st

one

(?)

7(D

)¿FD

3.5,

angl

edan

dir

regu

larl

y-pa

ste

(?)

2.5

(MiT

),st

eppe

dsh

aped

,wor

n2.

75(M

T)

edge

s

286

9/02

/97

I00

/07

70.

547.

288.

48st

one

(?)

7.5

(D)¿

FD2.

5,sl

ight

lych

ippe

dan

dpa

ste

(?)

2.5

(MiT

),an

gled

and

wor

n,ve

rypo

or3

(MT

)st

eppe

dco

ndit

ion

287

9/02

/97

I00

/05

50.

805.

688.

60sh

ell,

very

10(D

)¿T

SB5–

5.5,

step

ped

very

crud

e,pa

sty

to3.

5(M

iT),

due

tona

tura

lir

regu

larl

y-to

uch

6(M

T)

spir

als,

off-

shap

ed,p

itte

dce

ntre

and

surf

ace,

poor

angl

edco

ndit

ion

288

9/02

/97

I01

/04

71.

264.

158.

47sh

ell

11(D

)¿T

SB4

for

hole

,re

gula

rin

5(M

iT),

thou

ghw

iden

ssh

ape,

wel

l-6

(MT

)d

ueto

step

ped

roun

ded

,pr

ofile

;off

-ex

celle

ntce

ntre

and

cond

itio

nan

gled

218

Page 18: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

BEADS FROM SHARM

289

9/02

/97

I00

/06

60.

706.

58.

59ca

rnel

ian

7.5

(D),

SBC

1.5,

stra

ight

fair

ly5

(MD

)¿th

roug

hbe

adsy

mm

etri

cal

7(L

)th

ough

slig

htly

irre

gula

r;sm

ooth

wit

hfe

wgo

uges

325

10/

02/

97I

01/

057

1.62

5.27

8.44

gold

8(D

)¿9

(H)

SBC

(?)

4.5

(?)

poor

lypr

eser

ved

,now

intw

oha

lves

326

10/

2/97

I01

/05

71.

335.

628.

45ca

rnel

ian

9T

T1–

1.5,

hori

zont

alB

ase

brok

en,

(L-b

roke

n)¿

thro

ugh

apex

othe

rwis

e5

(W)¿

6(H

)re

gula

r

327

10/

02/

97I

01/

057

1.41

5.50

8.40

carn

elia

n5

(MiT

),T

LB

2,st

eppe

d(i

nt),

exce

llent

6.25

(MT

)¿sl

ight

lyan

gled

cond

itio

n,fa

irly

7(L

)re

gula

r,ca

refu

llycu

tan

dpo

lishe

d

328

10/

02/

97I

01/

057

1.11

5.34

8.45

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

1.5

(T)

FD1.

5,ve

ryw

orn

edge

s,pa

ste

(?)

irre

gula

r,an

gled

aver

age

and

step

ped

cond

itio

n

329

10/

02/

97I

00/

057

0.65

5.64

8.44

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD1.

5,st

eppe

d,

chip

ped

,wor

npa

ste

(?)

1.5

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyan

gled

edge

s,po

or2.

5(M

T)

cond

itio

n

330

10/

02/

97I

00/

056

0.57

5.89

8.46

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

1.5

(T)

FD1.

5,be

velle

dir

regu

lar

dis

c,pa

ste

(?)

and

step

ped

chip

ped

,wor

n,ho

le,c

entr

edve

rypo

orco

ndit

ion

331

10/

02/

97I

01/

076

1.77

7.49

8.51

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2.

25,c

entr

ed,

very

good

2(M

iT),

only

mar

gina

llyco

ndit

ion,

2.5

(MT

)st

eppe

dd

isti

nct

edge

s

332

10/

02/

97I

01/

086

1.07

8.66

8.55

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2.

5,sl

ight

lysl

ight

lych

ippe

dpa

ste

(?)

2(M

iT),

angl

edan

dan

dw

orn,

2.5

(MT

)st

eppe

dav

erag

eco

ndit

ion

Tabl

e2.

Con

t.

219

Page 19: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

Tabl

e2.

Con

tinu

ed

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

333

10/

02/

97I

01/

087

1.22

8.92

8.49

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2.

5–3,

step

ped

very

wor

npa

ste

(?)

1.75

(MiT

),an

dan

gled

edge

s,po

or2.

5(M

T)

cond

itio

n

334

8/02

/97

I00

/06

40.

656.

498.

76st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2,st

eppe

dan

dgo

odco

ndit

ion

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),ce

ntre

d2.

25(M

T)

335

10/

02/

97I

00/

077

0.76

7.30

8.57

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2–

3.5,

step

ped

,qu

ite

circ

ular

,pa

ste

(?)

2.25

(MiT

),no

tan

gled

slig

htly

wor

n,2.

5(M

T)

aver

age

cond

itio

n

336

10/

02/

97I

00/

036

0003

8.50

–8.3

5st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

but

very

circ

ular

,pa

ste

(?)

1(M

iT),

not

angl

edsl

ight

lyw

orn

1.75

(MT

)ed

ges,

aver

age

cond

itio

n

337

10/

02/

97I

00/

057

0.86

5.54

8.45

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2.

5,sl

ight

lych

ippe

ded

ges,

past

e(?

)1.

75(M

iT),

angl

edan

dpo

orco

ndit

ion

2.5

(MT

)st

eppe

d

338

10/

02/

97I

01/

076

1.38

7.17

8.59

ston

e(?

)7

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

d,

slig

htly

wor

npa

ste

(?)

2.25

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyan

gled

wit

ha

chip

off

3(M

T)

one

edge

339

10/

02/

97I

01/

056

1.07

5.84

8.57

ston

e(?

)6.

5(D

)¿FD

2.5,

step

ped

,go

odco

ndit

ion,

past

e(?

)2.

5(M

iT),

slig

htly

angl

edso

me

wor

n3

(MT

)ed

ges

340

10/

02/

97I

01/

076

1.69

7.68

8.51

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD1.

5,ce

ntre

d,

very

wor

nan

dpa

ste

(?)

1.75

(MiT

),st

eppe

d,n

otch

ippe

ded

ges,

2(M

T)

angl

edre

mna

nts

ofbu

ffgl

aze

orsh

ell

(?)

341

10/

02/

97I

01/

097

1.13

9.32

8.47

ston

e(?

)6.

5(D

)¿FD

2.5,

mar

gina

llyve

ryw

orn

and

past

e(?

)2

(MiT

),st

eppe

dan

dch

ippe

d,w

ith

2.5

(MT

)an

gled

both

face

sha

ving

area

sof

conc

avit

y

220

Page 20: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

BEADS FROM SHARM

342

10/

02/

97I

01/

036

0103

8.50

–8.4

0st

one

(?)

6(D

)¿SB

C2,

slig

htly

off-

irre

gula

rsh

ape,

past

e(?

)3

(MiT

),ce

ntre

,ste

pped

mul

ti-f

acet

ed4

(MT

)

343

10/

02/

97I

00/

057

0.32

5.08

8.50

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2,

angl

edan

dqu

ite

circ

ular

,pa

ste

(?)

1.5

(MiT

),sl

ight

lyst

eppe

dfa

irly

dis

tinc

t2

(MT

)ed

ges,

good

cond

itio

n

344

10/

02/

97I

01/

056

0105

8.50

–8.4

0st

one

(?)

6.5

(D)¿

FD2,

step

ped

,not

wor

n,ch

ippe

d,

past

e(?

)2.

5(M

iT),

angl

edpi

tted

,poo

r2.

75(M

T)

cond

itio

n

345

10/

02/

97I

01/

066

1.76

6.16

8.50

ston

e(?

)7

(D)¿

FD2,

slig

htly

chip

ped

and

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

angl

ed,v

ery

wor

ned

ges,

3(M

T)

step

ped

othe

rwis

eav

erag

eco

ndit

ion

346

10/

02/

97I

01/

066

1.15

6.42

8.52

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2,

step

ped

and

aver

age

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

angl

edth

roug

hco

ndit

ion

2.5

(MT

)be

ad

347

10/

02/

97I

00/

066

0.63

6.70

8.55

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

FD2.

5,st

eppe

dan

dw

orn

and

past

e(?

)1.

5(M

iT),

angl

edch

ippe

don

one

2.5

(MT

)ed

ge,o

ther

wis

eav

erag

eco

ndit

ion

348

10/

02/

97I

01/

066

1.40

6.42

8.55

ston

e(?

)7

(D)¿

FD2,

cent

red

,ch

ippe

dan

dpa

ste

(?)

1.25

(MiT

),st

eppe

dw

orn

edge

s,2.

5(M

T)

othe

rwis

eav

erag

eco

ndit

ion

349

10/

02/

97I

01/

067

1.50

6.37

8.42

ston

e(?

)8

(MiD

),SB

3–3.

5,fa

irly

irre

gula

rsh

ape,

past

e(?

)10

(D)¿

cent

red

,ste

pped

lops

ided

11(H

)in

teri

or

350

10/

02/

97I

01/

057

0105

8.50

–8.4

0sh

ell

8(D

)¿T

SB2.

5–6

due

tona

tura

lsp

iral

s4.

5(M

iT),

spir

als,

step

ped

(int

),qu

ite

5.5

(MT

)pr

ofile

,slig

htly

regu

lar

angl

ed

Tabl

e2.

Con

t.

221

Page 21: Stone, paste, shell and metal beads from Sharm

D. BARKER

Tabl

e2.

Con

tinu

ed

Reg

Dim

ensi

ons

Hol

eN

oD

ate

Tom

bSq

uare

Lay

erE

ast

Nor

thL

evel

Mat

eria

l(m

m)

Shap

e/Ty

pe(D

iam

eter

,mm

)N

otes

351

10/

02/

97I

00/

047

0.74

4.82

8.39

shel

l6

(D)¿

TSB

2.5–

3,of

f-ce

ntre

,na

tura

lsp

iral

s,2.

5(M

iT),

slig

htly

angl

ed,

irre

gula

rsh

ape

3.5

(MT

)st

eppe

dpr

ofile

wit

hth

ree

due

tosp

iral

svi

sibl

eco

rner

s

369

10/

02/

97I

00/

046

0.56

4.94

8.51

ston

e(?

)6

(D)¿

1.5

(T)

FD1.

5–2.

5po

orco

ndit

ion,

past

e(?

)she

llin

clud

ing

very

smal

lan

d(?

)be

velle

ded

geir

regu

lar,

thre

ean

dho

le,a

ngle

ded

ges

and

step

ped

391

8/02

/97

I01

/06

41.

386.

888.

70st

one

(?)

7.5

(D)¿

3(T

)FD

2,st

eppe

d,

oval

insh

ape,

past

e(?

)sl

ight

lyan

gled

slig

htly

wor

nan

dch

ippe

d

394

10/

02/

97I

01/

057

0105

8.50

–8.4

0ca

rnel

ian

16.5

(L)¿

TT

1.5,

hori

zont

ally

good

cond

itio

n,3.

5(M

iW),

thro

ugh

apex

,se

vera

lin

cise

d7.

5(M

W)¿

not

angl

ed,o

ff-

groo

ves

onea

ch2

(MiT

),ce

ntre

,ste

pped

face

,bro

ken

3.5

(MT

)(i

nt)

edge

(?)

395

8/02

/97

I01

/06

401

068.

80–8

.70

carn

elia

n4.

5(D

)¿SB

1.5,

not

step

ped

,sl

ight

ly2.

5(M

iT),

but

slig

htly

off-

irre

gula

rsh

ape,

3(M

T)

cent

rero

und

ed,g

ood

cond

itio

n,th

ough

som

ewha

tpi

tted

222