A Bead Timeline, Vol. I: Prehistory to 1200 CE (Paperback)

by James W. Lankton (Author) "It's not about beads, it's about people," the late Peter Francis, Jr., never ceased to remind us..." (more)
Key Phrases: banded agate beads, tabular beads, mosaic beads, West Asia, Black Sea, Warring States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Reaching back into prehistory , author Dr. James W. Lankton traces beads through time and space, following their role in the development of technology, social stratification, political organization, religion, ritual, writing and commerce, as the story of beads intertwines with the growth of civilization. Published by The Bead Museum in Washington, D.C., this authoritative reference is based on the Museum's Bead Timeline exhibit which displays beads of all materials arranged in chronological and geographic sequence. Seventy-six full-color photographs by Robert K. Liu, Ph.D. include panoramic views of the Museum's Bead Timeline panels, which locate the beads in historical sequence, and closeups, which show details of classical bead types. Providing practical information for identifying beads, this volume, the first of two, focuses primarily on organic beads--especially shell, ivory, coral, amber, soft stones, such as turquoise and lapis lazuli: and hard stones, such as carnelian, chalcedony, rock crystal and jade, as well as faience and glass. Reviewing important bead developments in Mesopotamia, the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt, the Hellenistic and Roman world, early Europe, South and Southeast Asia, China, Korea and more, this survey to 1200 CE will enhance the reader's appreciation of beads in their cultural context.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: The Bead Society of Greater Washington (August 2003)
• ISBN-10: 0972506616
• ISBN-13: 978-0972506618
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #74,896 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Bead Timeline, September 22, 2006

By	Eve Curtis "myth collector" (Waban, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is meant to be a guide to the Bead Timeline exhibit in Washington, DC. It does not include the earliest neolithic beads that have been found dating back as far as 100,000 BC. What it does give is a very good commentary on the techniques of bead making from about 12,000 BC up to 1200 CE, and shows good examples from the collection. There is ample information about where beads have been found (everywhere) and it alludes to the role beads have played in cultural diffusion and technological development. As new discoveries are made, the collection will be expanded.

Lankton tells us he hopes that, after seeing a small sample, the reader will want to visit the actual collection. He has convinced me.

4.0 out of 5 stars A valuable study of ancient beads, March 2, 2009

By	Anton Zakharov (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews

James Lankton's monograph appears to be a must-have for any archaeologist. It reconstructs the history of bead-making from the very beginning until 1200 C.E. and has many beautiful colour pictures of different beads. When you look at the pictures, you immediately recognize how many different types of beads exist and how beautiful they are. The monograph also shows many exhange, trade and cultural connections between many societies of the past. In fact, it's an excellent monograph. But I must emphasize that it concerns a very special topic and will be useful and evolving only if you like archaeology, history of art or beads themselves.