The history of glass bead making seems to be on of reinventing the wheel over and over. We have evidence of many sophisticated methods, including core formed and wound, as early as 2340-2180 BC in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus region (Russia). The complicated mosaic methods were developed a little later around 1500 BC. In Nuzi (130 miles north of Baghdad) over 11,000 beads have been found that date before the site’s destruction in 1400 BC. Although not really limited to beadmaking, the three major Ancient Glassmaking eras are: Egyptian, Roman , Islamic influenced Eastern Mediterranean and later, the most renowned boom in glass bead making was centered in Venice. As each of these cultures developed and prospered, so did their bead and other glass working techniques. When these societies collapsed, their methods were buried with them…only to be reinvented yet again by a later people.

It is believed that the Egyptians first used faience (a glazed fused quartz composite) but later developed the core, wound and mosaic methods of using glass to make beads and other decorations. They were the first culture to have glass-making guilds. They used glass to imitate precious stones, such as the highly desired lapis lazuli and turquoise. These beads were often opaque like the stones would have been. Although they were making glass beads as early as 2181-2160 BC, the large commercial market developed closer to 1400 BC. The first great glass making epoch is considered from 1350 BC, declining around 1200 BC, and virtually disappeared with the fall of the New Kingdom in 1085 BC. However, Alexander the Great managed to bring about a revival in the 4thc. BC.

By this time, bead production was not limited to the Mediterranean. There have been glass beads found in the archeological sites of the Hallstatt Celtic culture in Austria (900 BC) and the La Tene sites in Switzerland (600-100 BC) as well as other Celtic locations from 200-1 BC. These clearly demonstrate the development of some cultural styles and unique features, such as the raised eye patterns. However, just because these cultures were fashioning glass beads, does not necessarily indicate a complete glass manufacturing society. In many cases glass was imported from elsewhere or, as in Britain from 300 BC to 1 AD, the glass was “reused”.

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