Ancient Roman and Islamic Trade Beads EXTRAORDINARY Start Price USD 2,400.00 Current Price USD 2,400.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, November 11, 2008 End Time Thursday, December 11, 2008 Location Denver, CO See more about 'Ancient Roman and Islamic Trade Beads EXTRAORDINARY' Description Ancient Roman and Islamic Trade Beads EXTRAORDINARYOther names: Ancient beads, Roman and Islamic beadsType of bead: wound beadsMade in: Europe Overall Condition: Fair to Good. Loss of trail decoration, chips, pitting. . Some of these beads have traveled at least three continents, and have graced numerous owners. Small chips, corrosion, and pitting are a normal part of their patina attesting to their age and extensive use. Damage, Repair: Pitting, decoration loss and cracksStrand length: 52 inchesBead Size: 10-22 mm in diameterSpectacular strand of ancient excavated Roman and Islamic beads. This is an extraordinary strand of very unique beads, among these are eye, square and swirl trade beads. This strand of beads is a true treasure!Among the earliest known objects of beauty and spirituality, beads have been found in excavations that pre-date human civilization. The Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon in France and elsewhere in Europe fashioned adornments out of animal bones and teeth as early as 38,000BC. Somewhat later on, during Upper Paleolithic times, the practice began to spread in all directionsand by 10,000BC was widespread. There were concurrent cultures producing beads from various materials, from Northern China to Australia, to Korea and India, as well as in Africa and North America. Bead making took an enormous leap forward around 4000BC, when faience, the forerunner of glass, was invented in either Egypt or Mesopotamia. Once the production of this new material was mastered, the possibilities became endless. Collecting ancient beads can be a consuming experience. Not only are they endlessly fascinating, but they take so little room!! The beads on this strand are mostly from the ""Islamic Period,"" which dates roughly from 900 to 1400AD, though some will perhaps date back as far as 400BC. Most of these spectacular little globs of color were, up until the last decade or so, thought to be of ""Roman"" origin, because of the historical knowledge of all the ancient glass factories operated by the Roman Empire, but this is not always the case. Most bead experts now attribute many of these magnificent magic eye, folded, and mosaic beads to the Middle East, made in countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Turkey, and then traded, like salt, around the world.**036535** All content, including pictures, Copyright Africa Direct Inc., 2006 Add Us To Your Favorite Sellers! Please visit our About Us page. SquareTrade © AP6.0 PesaMember Place a Bid!