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The black micro-beads are believed to be made from steatite paste. This paste is pressed thru a hole, which has a copper wire passing through the center of the hole. The perforated tube is cut at short intervals and micro-beads thus created are later baked at 900 to 1000 degree Centigrade89 Some of the uncut tubes of 5 to 10 mms size were also found from this pot. The only difference in the black beads found at Nani Rayan as compared to those mentioned in the literature is that the former
are not as hard as the latter. It is interesting to note that the importance of wearing ornaments with black beads, Mangalsutra, by married women today has its roots in the Indus Valley culture.
Periplus has mentioned red coral as an important trading component. Hence,the use of red coral in ornamentation seem to be have been carried on from
Harrapan period to the History period. Shell Bangles:
Bangle is the commonest Indian Ornament. Whether rich or poor, the Indian women have adored their hands with bangle for thousands of years. The skeleton of a harrapan woman, unearthed from the grave at Dholavira shows shell bangles over the wrists.
I have found a few Terra Cotta bangles and a good number of shell bangle pieces from the fields of Nani Rayan. It is very clear that the place had a major shell bangle industry. The proximity of the site from the sea and profusion of this kind of the seashells in the area must have been the contributing factors. I have found large shells of Turbenella pyrum Linn 15cm. long and 10cm. in girth from which bangle were cut. I have found many left over pieces of the shells from which bangles were cut. On the lower end of one such piece there are multiple cuts showing that the craftsman has tested the sharpness of his instrument.
Cutting a ring out of the shell and then decorating it with different designs must have been the common technique. It is also likely that the rich wore very finely designed bangle while the poor used the plain rings and both this varieties are found from the fields. Some of the bangles are very finely decorated; the carving is artistic and perfect.
DG
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K.T.M. Hegde, R.V. Karanth,S.P.Sychanthavong?. On the comosition and technology of Harappan micro Beads. Chapter 21 Harappan Civilisation
The Antiquities
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