The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: a Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras
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Durham E-Theses The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras AL-SADEQI, WALEED,MOHAMED,ABDULRAHIM How to cite: AL-SADEQI, WALEED,MOHAMED,ABDULRAHIM (2013) The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9433/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Department of Archaeology, Durham University THE ANCIENT BEADS OF BAHRAIN: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras - Volume I - Waleed M. Al-Sadeqi The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras Waleed M. Al-Sadeqi (Abstract) This work represents the first in-depth study of the ancient beads of Bahrain ever attempted. It examines a select group of such beads, comprising a sample of 4,813 specimens recovered from various archaeological sites in Bahrain by means of excavation, in order to isolate their most essential features; that is, those aspects of the beads most crucial to an archaeological understanding and appreciation of ornaments of this sort. It then proceeds to describe and analyze these essential features whilst at the same time constructing a bead typology particular to the Bahrain Islands, something which had never existed before and which is made available through this work for the first time. Using both the essential features and the typology produced by them, the study then employs these as avenues through which it examines not only the cultural and socio-economic development of the Dilmun and Tylos eras (i.e., the Bronze and Iron Ages on the Bahrain Islands), but also the important role played by beads as markers of such development throughout these overarching chronological epochs. 1 The Ancient Beads of Bahrain: A Study of Ornaments from the Dilmun and Tylos Eras (Vol. I of III) Waleed Mohamed Abdulrahim Al-Sadeqi Submitted for the degree of PhD in Archaeology Department of Archaeology Durham University 2013 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume I PAGE Statement of Copyright ……………………………………………………………… 20 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………….. 21 PART I: BACKGROUND Chapter 1 - An Introduction to the Ancient Beads of Bahrain ………………….. 24 Goals of This Study ………………………………………………………………….. 27 Organization of This Work …………………………………………………………... 27 A Note on Figures, Plates, and Illustrations …………………………………………. 28 Chapter 2 - The History of Beads in Archaeology: Ornaments Worldwide and in Bahrain …………………………………………… 30 A Review of the Archaeological Study of Beads ……………………………….…… 30 The Ancient Beads of Bahrain Prior to This Study …………………………………. 34 Chapter 3 – Methodology ………………………………………………………….. 41 An Outline of Methodology …………………………………………………………. 41 The Bahrain Sample …………………………………………………………………. 41 Isolating and Studying the Essential Features of Bahrain’s Beads ………………….. 46 Essential Features and the Development of a Bahrain Bead Typology ……………... 48 Studying Bahrain’s Ancient Beads by Means of Essential Features and the Bahrain Bead Typology ……………………………………………………………………………... 48 Chapter 4 - The Essential Features of Beads ……………………………………... 50 Background Information, Contextual Information, and Condition ……………...….. 50 Chronological Period ………………………………………………………………… 50 Material ………………………………………………………………………………. 52 Colour(s) ……………………………………………………………………………... 52 Diaphaneity …………………………………………………………………………... 53 Beadmaking Process …………………………………………………………………. 53 Decoration/Distinguishing Feature(s) ………………………………………………... 54 Perforation Type …………………………………………………………………...… 54 3 Size ………………………………………………………………………………….... 55 Cross-Sectional and Profile Shape …………………………………………………… 55 Function ……………………………………………………………………………… 56 Chapter 5 - Dilmun and Tylos Chronology ……………………………………….. 58 Chronology and Pottery ……………………………………………………………… 58 Cities and Periods: The Chronology of Ancient Bahrain ……………………………. 58 Tylos Phases: Chronological Subdivisions of Period V ……………………………... 61 Chapter 6 - The Sites and Burial Types of Ancient Bahrain: Understanding Where the Beads Came From ……………………………………. 63 Urban Sites ………………………………………………………………….………... 63 Religious Sites ……………………………………………………………………….. 67 Introducing a Marine Exploitation Site: Al-Markh ………………………………….. 70 Burial Types …………………………………………………………………………. 71 PART II: ANALYSIS Chapter 7: Spatial and Temporal Context of the Bahrain Sample 7.1 - Purpose ……………………………………...………………………………… 81 7.2 – Approach to Sampling ……………………………………………………..… 83 7.3 – Archaeological Context …………………………………………………….... 89 7.4 – Condition of the Beads ……………………………………………..……….. 100 7.5 – Chronological Periods ……………………………………………….……… 102 7.6 – Archaeological Narrative ………………………………………………….... 106 Introduction to the Narrative ……………………………………………………….. 106 The Oldest Beads Recovered from Bahrain ………………………………………... 107 Period I and Its Subdivisions ……………………………………………………….. 110 Period II and Its Subdivisions ………………………………………………………. 113 Period III and Its Subdivisions ……………………………………………………... 134 Period IV and Its Subdivisions ……………………………………………………... 140 Period V: The Tylos Era ……………………………………………………………. 153 Chapter 8: Materiality of the Beads 8.1 – Purpose …………………………………..…………………………………... 162 8.2 – Bead Materials …………………………………………………….………… 163 8.3 – Bead Colours …………………………………………...……………………. 182 4 Some General Observations ………………………………………………………… 182 Colours in Periods II, IV, and V ……………………………………………………. 183 The Most Visible Hues in Periods II, IV, and V: A Look at Percentages ………….. 192 8.4 – Bead Diaphaneity …………………………………………………….……… 200 8.5 – Archaeological Narrative …………………………………………………… 220 The Oldest Beads Revisited ………………………………………………………… 220 Period I and Its Subdivisions ………………………………………………………... 227 Period IIa ……………………………………………………………………………. 239 Period IIb ……………………………………………………………………………. 252 Period IIc ……………………………………………………………………………. 257 Period IIb-c ………………………………………………………………………….. 266 Period IIa-c ………………………………………………………………………….. 274 Period Post IIc ………………………………………………………………………. 286 Period III and Its Subdivisions ……………………………………………………… 291 Period IV and Its Subdivisions ……………………………………………………… 294 Period V: The Tylos Era …………………………………………………………….. 312 Volume II Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………… 337 List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………... 339 List of Figures ……………………………………….………………………………. 340 List of Plates ……………………………………….………………………………... 344 Statement of Copyright ……………………………………………………………... 345 Chapter 9: Manufacture, Morphology, and Bead Typologies 9.1 – Purpose ……………………………………...………………………………... 346 9.2 – Manufacturing Methods ………………………………………………….…. 347 The Most Prevalent Beadmaking Process: Drawing and Snapping ……………….... 347 The Beadmaking Process Behind Faience Specimens …………………………….... 365 Mineral Bead Manufacture: Processes Associated with Carnelian/Banded Carnelian Specimens (Etched or Otherwise) and Other Stone Specimens ……………………. 367 Other Beadmaking Processes Associated with the Bahrain Sample ……………….. 395 The Manufacture of Gold-Glass Beads …………………………………………….. 398 5 The Manufacture of Eye Beads …………………………………………...……….. 399 The Drilling of Natural Objects ……………………………………………………. 400 9.3 – Bead Perforation ……..…………………………………………….……….. 402 Perforation Types: An Introduction ……………………………………………….. 402 A Comparison Between Single and Double Perforation Numbers ………………... 403 Type IV Perforations in the Bahrain Sample ……………………………………… 404 Type VIa and Type II Perforations in the Bahrain Sample ………………………... 406 Other Perforation Types in the Bahrain Sample ………………………………...… 410 Some Remarks Regarding Drills ………………………………………………….. 410 9.4 – Bead Morphology ……………………………………………...………...… 413 Bead Sizes ………………………………………………………………………… 413 Cross-Sectional Shapes …………………………………………………………… 425 Profile Shapes …………………………………………………………………….. 428 Three-Dimensional Forms ………………………………………………………... 429 The Tripartite Method of Bead Classification ……………………………………. 431 9.5 – Complex Typologies ……………………………………………..………… 435 9.6 – Archaeological Narrative ……………………………………...………….. 450 The Oldest Beads ………………………………………………………………… 450 Period I and the Ib-IIc Chronological Range ……………………………………... 452 Period IIa ……………………………………………………………………….… 458 Period IIb ……………………………………………………………………….… 475 Period IIc …………………………………………………………………………. 482 Period IIb-c ……………………………………………………………………….. 487 Period IIa-c ……………………………………………………………………….. 497 Period Post IIc ……………………………………………………………………. 505 Period III and Its Subdivisions …………………………………………………… 510 Period IV and Its Subdivisions …………………………………………………… 513 Period V: The Tylos Era ………………………………………………………….. 526 Chapter 10 – Conclusion ………………………………………………………... 558 6 Volume III Table of Contents ……………………………………………………………...… 574 List of Plates ……………………………………………………………………... 575 Statement of Copyright ………………………………………………………….. 577 Appendix 1a – Dataset of the Bahrain Sample (Part 1) ……………………… 578 Appendix 1b – Dataset of the