| Abstract: |
Introduction: Two strands of beads have been excavated at neighboring sites in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (PIs. I and II). The archaeological recovery of beads is very common, but excavating bead strands is much rarer unless they are from a burial, an offering, or a hoard. Finding two strands in sites so close together seems to defy the odds. My intent is not to dwell on the rarity of these finds, but to use this opportunity to study beads from ancient southern India. Though beads can be worn individually, they are most commonly worn as strands. Examining whole strands allows us to study beads in their basic functional unit. Bead research requires answers to several specific questions: (1) Where and how were the beads made? (2) How and where were they distributed? (3) What function did they serve? (4) How did they come to be in the place where they were excavated? When considering bead strands we have an additional question to ask: How do we identify an assemblage of beads as a strand? Some of these questions can be answered by studying individual beads, but others cannot. This is the advantage of studying complete bead strands rather than limiting the examination to individual specimens.
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