The History of Beads

In Southeast Asia and the South Pacific region, beaded jewelry has served as personal adornment, protective amulets, and political badges of rank, as well as dowries, ceremonial exchange goods, and sacred altar objects. The earliest beads in Southeast Asia were excavated from Neolithic caves in Borneo, and date from 2,500 to 1,000 BC Most of the hundreds of large and small islands in the South Pacific have been accessible to seaborne traders, and beads have been an important element in the region’s trade for thousands of years. Because of sea trade routes linking India, China, western Asia and Europe, the peoples of Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines were significantly influenced by these cultures. Other excavated sites contain beads of agate, carnelian, crystal and amethyst from India and Sri Lanka. Glass beads came from India during the 1st century AD, and Roman-style “eye beads” reached Southeast Asia in the early middle ages before the 12th century.

Prayer Beads are commonly associated with the middle-ages (A.D 600-140) and Roman Catholicism. Today, the religions of nearly two-thirds of the world’s population utilize some form of prayer beads.

Worry Beads, like prayer beads are made from a great many materials, plastic, glass, wood, amber and semi-precious stones. Their primary function is as a release for tension which provides a security that may in fact be subconsciously spiritual.

Beads are an important part of a communicative system in all African societies. Adornment, particularly with beads, communicates cultural values in a symbolic language that express rank, religion, politics and artistic attitudes.
In the Western world we tend to take for granted the Bead, but when we truly think of their use they become little secrets of history that reflect our past and present, and for those to come, our future.

Note: Sorces from the Internet.