Not All Beads Are Equal: Archaeology and Ethnohistory of Glass Beads in Classical Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The talk engages archaeological, material science, historical and ethnographical data to discuss the technology, production, and Chaîne opératoire of glass beads in pre-modern Ile-Ife, southwest Nigeria. The presentation challenges the notion of a single origin of glass technology and argues for the regional development of glass technologies with Ile-Ife emerging as a major centre of production in early sub-Saharan Africa. It explores the transformative impact of glass and glass beads on the social, political, economic and aesthetic fabrics of the society. --- Event Details: https://my.princeton.edu/rsvp?id=1957659