An examination of glass beads from Early Medieval Ireland

Margaret Mannion

Glass beads, though one of the most common finds from early medieval excavations, are yet one of the least studied, this despite the contribution, they can make to dating, to the evaluation of status and overseas influences and trade, as well as their potential to contribute to our appreciation of body-ornament and aesthetic identity. 

This research aims to initiate a national classification of glass beads from early medieval Ireland, based on detailed appraisal of the form and colour, dating and currency of beads from select excavations and unprovenenced specimens at the National Museum of Ireland.The corpus of beads for this study has been selected applying criteria intended to guarantee an embracive/inclusive and representative sample of beads from a range of excavated site types, secular and religious, securely dated and stratigraphically intact, across as broad a geographical area as possible, thus facilitating cross-societal and inter-regional comparisons.

The methodology applied in this study will focus on a visual and microscopic inspection of the glass beads, and will employ traditional archaeological methodologies pertaining to artefact studies, specifically adapted, in this case, to the study of glass beads. Peculiar to the present research is the emphasis on precise, standardised, colour definitions using Munsell colour codes and high quality digital imaging of the beads which will add another dimension to comparative analysis. This will be achieved through the design of a standardised, consistent and replicable system of examining, recording and photographing the beads, allowing the glass beads to be digitally photographed and Munsell coded under replicate conditions. The Munsell colour coding system will introduce a degree of objectivity into the assessment of bead colour, and in time this will facilitate a system whereby the colour of the beads can be communicated and compared internationally.

A dedicated database will be used to record the dimensions, form, colour, decoration, translucency and, where possible, method of production for each bead A section will also be devoted to how the beads were manufactured, this will include information on the condition of the bead, details on the perforation and if the bead has been repaired. It will also record excavation information, bead registration number and finds context, stratigraphical and artefactual.The resulting database will be both an archival resource and an analytical tool.

The analytical part of my research will be informed by the paradigms of postprocessualism. Beads, like all artifacts, contain information on human biographies and are endowed with meanings which extended far beyond their aesthetic or functional appeal or value as chronological indicators. Understanding the performative role of beads in the social arena can enrich our appreciation of the social agency of material culture and the conventions governing the formation, exhibition and maintenance of individual and collective identities.

This research is funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences

E-mail m.mannion3nuigalway.ie

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