Mixed Cargos of Glass and Stone Beads of the Indian Ocean World Early Modern Period

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Glass Beads: Global Artefacts, Local Perspectives", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Most literature on beads in the IOW is from very early archaeological sites in South Asia dated to the BCE era. The Indian Ocean World (IOW) encompasses the overarching geographical boundaries of East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. What does the literature indicate for the distribution of beads in the early modern period (EMP) from 1450 to 1800 CE? I analyzed morphological and technological data of beads from two shipwrecks off the Philippines coast dated to 1460-1487 CE (Pandanan) and 1488-1505 CE (Santa Cruz). I contextualize bead cargo in maritime cultural landscape, which is the connectivities across open oceans, along inland waterways to hinterlands. In comparison to glass bead data from these EMP shipwrecks, what is the geographical distribution of stone beads in the IOW? Do stone or glass beads indicate different distinct patter

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Glass Beads: Global Artefacts, Local Perspectives   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow