The History of Beads.

Beads are not just adornment! No, beads have been used by mankind for centuries, and not even just modern mankind.

An archeological site at La Quina France, found beads in the form of grooved animal teeth and bone pendants at a dig associated with Neanderthal man. These beads are dated to about 38,000 BC.

Many archeological finds have shown beads to be a part of burial offerings with many people buried with beads to help with the passage to the afterlife. The more artifacts within a grave the more importance these people would have held within their society.

As recently as early 2005 an Australian archeologist team uncovered three mummies at a dig site near the Saqqara pyramids, south of Cairo, Egypt. The mummies were covered by intricate nets of beads dating from the 26th dynasty (664-525 BC). This is a great find as most beads from burial sites during this period no longer exist. (Image: Reuters/Aladin Abdel Naby)

Beads have, right up to modern times, been used by civilizations to represent status, used in religious and social ceremony, and as currency.

Beads have been used as an indication of status for centuries. The best materials were saved for royalty and used in beads which would then adorn the wearer as jewellery and embellishments for clothing. Until the 16th century in the West it was the male sovereign who would wear such splendor. When Elizabeth the 1st reigned the situation altered and women as well as men began to wear beaded jewellery to enhance beauty and as a show of social standing.

Traders to Africa, the Americas and Asia would use European glass beads in exchange for gold, ivory, palm oil, beaver pelts, spices and even slaves.

Beads can signify a persons marital status and beads used during social rituals such as weddings can play a major role. In Africa within differing tribes beads are used by both men and women to display marital status, age, and beauty. It is considered that the more beaded necklaces the unmarried female posses the greater beauty she posses and the more desirable she is as beads are gifted by admirers over the years. There are special beaded garments that are worn only after marriage. Even in our modern western society beaded jewellery is often sought for brides and their bridesmaids as adornment with the bridal party receiving their beaded jewellery as a gift from the bride.

Beads play an important role in religious and social ceremony. Beads are woven into intricate masks and adorn garments that were and are still used during ceremony on many continents including Asia, North America (Indian), Mid and South America, Africa and Europe. Beads are used during religious prayer within many religions. A Catholic rosary chaplet has 150 Ave beads grouped in decades (10) and divided by 15 larger beads. A pendant of 1 large and three smaller beads ending in a cross is usually attached to the chaplet. A Buddhist mala has 108 disk shaped beads with a tassel bead marking the beginning and the end of the prayer cycle.

Today we can all enjoy the tactile beauty of working with beads and the satisfaction of arranging them into works of wearable art. If your bead fascination is new than welcome to a wonderful world you will never wish to leave. If you have had a love of beads for some time now than you already know what we are talking about.