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Archeologia Polski, LXV: 2020
PL ISSN 0003-8180
DOI: 10.23858/APol65.2020.003
SUE HEASERa
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS WITH OPAQUE GLASS
THREAD DECORATION FOUND IN BRITAIN
ª Sue Heaser, Independent Archaeological Researcher, e Farthings, Wortham, Suolk IP22 1PU
U.K., sueheaser@live.co.uk, ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2363-8600.
Abstract: Dark glass ellipsoid beads decorated with coloured glass threads are a relatively rare
bead type that to date have mostly been found in Central Europe and the Near East. e author
has located four examples of these beads in British museums, all from datable levels. is paper
describes the British beads in detail and compares them with similar nds elsewhere. She also
investigates the making of the beads using hot glass beadmaking skills.
Keywords: Beads of dark glass with opaque glass threads decoration, late Roman period, early
Middle Ages, Anglo-Saxon period, England, Near East, lands north of the Black Sea, Central
Europe, Damascus
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
116
1. INTRODUCTION
I have been researching the Early Medieval glass beads of England in the United
Kingdom for several years. I had noticed a small number of beads found in buri-
als that are particularly distinctive and very dierent to other Anglo-Saxon beads
found in 5 and 6 century cemeteries in England. I then found a paper about these
beads by Prof. Dr. Maria Dekówna (2018) describing the beads and their probable
origins in Syria or the Near East. Prof. Dekówna told me that the English beads are
the most western examples of this kind found to date. Other nds are a collection
in Damascus museum; two beads found in Devin Castle in Bratislava, Slovakia;
one bead found in Abraham, Slovakia; one bead from Ojców, Poland; and one bead
from Leverkusen, Germany. I have not found any evidence so far that these beads
occur in mainland European countries further west than Germany. is makes the
nd in Britain more surprising and suggests that they may have travelled to Britain
from the Mediterranean, perhaps with the Roman army.
In this paper the beads found in England are described in detail, also their dis-
covery sites and dating (Fig. 1).
2. THE BEADS
e beads are all long ellipsoids in dark or black glass. ey are wound beads
and carelessly made. e basic bead was not heated aer making to smooth the glass
and consolidate the applied decoration. e winding marks are visible in all exam-
ples studied and the glass contains impurities and small bubbles. e decoration is
Fig. 1. Map of England showing thread bead nds.
Map by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 117
applied in a similar carefree manner with little attempt at regularity or precision.
reads of opaque glass are used to decorate the beads and the English examples are
all decorated with a single colour, either white, yellow, blue or red. e decorating
threads stand proud of the surface of the beads and have not been melted ush into
the bead surface. e beads were not marvered to rene the shape when complete.
Categorisation of these beads has divided them into types and sub-types
(Dekówna 2018). All the English beads belong to Dekówna’s category B1 with inter-
secting waves of a single colour. ey all also have ends decorated with wound
threads of the same colour.
2.1. BEADS FROM BATH GATE ROMAN CEMETERY,
CIRENCESTER, GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Current location: Corinium Museum, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK.
Museum nos: 1980/409/639 (Small nd no. 211 in the report) and 1980/409/640
(212 in the report).
Cirencester is the site of the Roman town of Corinium Dobunnorum. It dates
from about A.D.70 and by the early 2 c. was second only to London in size and
importance, with a population of over 10,000. e two beads were found in the
Roman cemetery to the west of the town, just outside the town walls and the Bath
Gate (McWhirr et al. 1982, mf. D03–D06).
e area of the excavation is called CS 70 1. e beads were in the grave earth
that surrounded the graves and not associated with any particular grave. But the
excavators considered that the soil in this area was homogenous and had not been
disturbed since Roman times. Coins found in the same soil were dated to the 4 and
early 5 centuries. Margaret Guido examined the beads for the report and identied
them as of “non-Roman” origin most probably from the Middle East and similar to
the Petersnger bead (see below; see also Guido 1999, Plate 3).
2.1.1. Cirencester bead 211 (Figs 2–4)
Cirencester bead 211 has a black body and opaque white glass thread decoration.
A strong light shone through the bead body shows that it is very dark translucent
yellowish green glass. e bead is carelessly made and winding marks are visible.
One end has broken o. e white thread decoration is applied in loose crossing
waves, very variable in thickness from 0.5 mm to 2 mm. ere is also a ne thread
of white glass applied loosely around the unbroken end of the bead, similarly vary-
ing in thickness. e decoration is applied in a loose and imprecise manner. e
white thread decoration has not been melted into the bead surface aer applying.
Some of the threads have broken away but the bead shows remarkable lack of ero-
sion with longitudinal striations in the thread decoration showing the direction it
was applied and dragged over the bead surface. Remains of dirt in these striations
make grey streaks.
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
118
Fig. 2. Cirencester bead 211
a, b, c, – side views of the bead; d – unbroken end of bead; e – broken end of bead showing chalk inclusion in
the glass.
Photos by Sue Heaser
ere is an inclusion of chalk or stone in the body of the bead, visible on the
broken edge (Fig. 2e). e bead is slightly oval in cross-section.
Length: 1.9 cm; maximum diameter is 1.1 cm at the widest point and 0.9 cm
at the unbroken end; internal diameter of perforation is 0.4 cm to 0.5 cm at the
broken end.
2.1.2. Cirencester bead 212 (Figs 5–7)
is bead is very similar to bead 211 but has opaque yellow thread decoration.
It is slightly more cylindrical in shape than ellipsoidal. One end is rounded and has
a tail of glass le from the winding process that has not been melted into the body
of the bead. e other end is more abruptly truncated but does not have a clean
break so may just be chipped. e central section is smoothed by melting in the
ame but still has traces of the winding marks. e body appears black but is very
dark translucent yellowish green glass, the same as bead 211.
e decoration is pale yellow opaque glass and is applied in a similar loose man-
ner in crossing waves with concentric threads at each end. It has deteriorated more
than the white glass of bead 211. Many bubbles are visible in this glass. e decoration
is melted into the surface to a certain extent, but the thicker threads are still proud
of the surface. e thicker threads are 2 mm thick, the ner threads are 0.5 mm.
Length: 2.5 cm; diameter: 1.0 cm; internal diameter of perforation: 0.4 cm
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 119
0 1 cm
Fig. 4. Drawing of Cirencester bead 211.
Drawing by Sue Heaser
Fig. 3. Cirencester bead 211. Detail of decoration.
Photo by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
120
Fig. 5. Cirencester bead 212
a, b, c – side views of the bead; d – view of top of bead; e – view of bottom of bead.
Photos by Sue Heaser
2.2. BEAD FROM SECONDARY BURIAL AT RISBY
HEATH WESTERN BARROW FIGS 810
Grid Reference: TL 7761 6783. Lat: 52.280232N; Long: 0.60125149W.
Current location: West Stow Anglo-Saxon Museum, Icklingham Road, West
Stow, Suolk IP28 6HG UK.
Museum no: RISBY 1977.898
is bead was found in a Bronze Age round barrow as a secondary Anglo-Saxon
burial on Risby Poor’s Heath, north west of Bury St Edmunds in Suolk. e sec-
ondary burial was associated with a 5 c. A.D. cremation urn with S-shaped decora-
tion and the bead was found in the same level as the urn (Edwardson 1959, p.153).
is is a later date than the Cirencester beads but the similarity between the beads
is remarkable. ey could have been made by the same beadmaker.
e Risby bead is described in the report as having a dark blue body but this is
wrong. It looks black but is a very dark translucent brownish green similar to the
Cirencester beads. e shape is again long ellipsoid with clear traces that it was wound
onto a mandrel. One end has broken o and there are air bubbles visible in the glass.
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 121
0 1 cm
Fig. 7. Drawing of Cirencester bead 212.
Drawing by Sue Heaser
Fig. 6. Detail of decoration on Cirencester bead 212.
Photo by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
122
Fig. 8. Risby bead
a, b, c – side views of the bead; d – view of broken o bottom of bead; e – view of top of bead.
Photos by Sue Heaser
e decoration consists of threads of opaque light blue glass applied in exactly
the same way as for the Cirencester beads in crossing waves but the waves are more
of a zig-zag with denite points at each change of direction where the coloured
molten glass was dabbed down onto the bead body in order to change direction.
Concentric lines of blue thread have been applied at each end of the bead. e
decoration threads vary in width from 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.
Length: 2.8 cm; diameter: 1.2 cm; internal diameter of perforation: 0.5 cm
2.3. BEAD FROM GRAVE 29, CLARENDON PARK ANGLOSAXON
CEMETERY, PETERSFINGER, WILTSHIRE FIGS 1114
Grid reference: SU 163293: Lat: 51.062808N Long: -1.7687746
Current location: Salisbury Museum, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
Museum No.: SBYWM:1949.49.104
Clarendon Park is a 5–6 c. inhumation cemetery excavated in 1948 when
it was discovered by accident during chalk digging by contractors. e excava-
tors found 63 graves and 70 skeletons (perhaps originally two adjacent cemeteries
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 123
0 1 cm
Fig. 10. Drawing of Risby bead 1977.898.
Drawing by Sue Heaser
Fig. 9. Detail of decoration on Risby bead.
Photo by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
124
0 2 cm
Fig. 11. e Petersnger bead (top right) in the necklace.
Photo courtesy of Salisbury Museum ©
Fig. 12. Petersnger bead
a, b, c – side views of the bead; d – view of bottom of bead; e – view of top of bead.
Photos by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 125
0 1 cm
Fig. 14. Drawing of Petersnger bead 1949.49.104.
Drawing by Sue Heaser
Fig. 13. Detail of decoration on Petersnger bead.
Photo by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
126
serving dierent communities). Finds included 21 knives, 2 pottery vessels (one
decorated), an iron bucket, 14 spearheads, 3 swords, a battle-axe, an ivory bangle
and many brooches as well as beads.
e thread bead was found in Grave 29, the grave of a presumed elderly woman.
e bead was in a necklace of 13 beads: two tubular bronze beads, one bone and
the rest glass of various colours and typical of pagan Anglo-Saxon grave goods.
ree of the beads have yellow/green twisted trail decoration typical of the period
and probably made in Eastern England. e other types of beads are found widely
in Britain and Europe.
e thread bead is very similar to the others described here with a black body
and crossing trails, this time in opaque red glass. It is slightly more regularly made
and has clear signs of winding. It is the longest bead of the set but of similar diam-
eter. e decorative threads show signs of abrasion and have air bubbles.
Length: 3.0 cm; diameter: 1.1 cm; diameter of perforation: 0.4 cm.
3. COMPARISONS WITH THREAD DECORATED BEADS
FOUND IN EUROPE AND THE NEAR EAST
e British beads are particularly like the two beads found at Devin Castle, Slo-
vakia (Staššíková-Štukovská 2017, 105, Fig. 1:1–16). Like the beads from Cirences-
ter, one of the Devin beads has opaque white decoration and the other, opaque
yellow. e loose and untidy application of the threads could be by the same hand
or the same workshop. e other bead described in the same paper from Abraham,
Slovakia, is smoother and more rened, with crossing trails in blue and yellow
and could have been shaped in a mould aer winding (Staššíková-Štukovská 2017,
p.105, Fig. 1:17–22).
Drawings by Maria Dekówna of ve beads in Damascus Museum (pers.com,
unpublished) again look similar to the British beads with loose, whiplash threads
in white, blue and yellow. ese beads were dated by the museum to the 3 c. A.D.
(Dekówna 2018, p.129). ey have both single waves and crossing trails like the
British beads.
A single bead found in Leinde, Leverkusen, Germany (Tempelmann-Mączyńska
1985, Type 331, Table 9) also has crossing trails while another in Ojców, Poland
(Tempelmann-Mączyńska 1985, Type 330, Table 9) has white threads in a single
wave.
4. RECONSTRUCTING THE BEADS
I was interested to discover how the beads were made and experimented with
my hot glass beadmaking skills to make replicas in the same style. e British
beads all appear to have been made in a similar way. First the dark glass is melted
and wound onto a mandrel. e beadmaker would have had to wind along the
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 127
mandrel for about 2 cms and then wind more hot glass into the centre to make an
ellipsoidal shape. e beads are not well smoothed by further melting in the ame
and this indicates that either the furnace used was not very hot, or the beads were
made quickly.
Next the opaque threads would have been applied. Beadmakers oen pull string-
ers of glass – long thin lengths like spaghetti – to use to create decorations. A hot
globule of glass on the end of a pontil is pinched between tweezers and pulled out
to make a long thin length. It cools rapidly and becomes rigid. is ne length can
then be applied to a hot bead to make spirals, waves and dots. is may have been
used in the case of the more regular decorated beads but I found that to simulate
the more carelessly applied threads, I had to use a thicker gather of molten glass,
about the size of a pea, on the end of a pontil. First I dabbed the coloured glass onto
the bead surface and pulled the pontil away so that a thin thread of glass was pulled
out of the gather. I allowed this thin thread to fall into place on the bead surface
and then dabbed again at the bottom of the wave. is was repeated while I turned
the bead on the mandrel and so created a wave pattern. is caused a thicker line at
the tops and bottoms of the waves, with a thinner thread between. e concentric
lines at top and bottom of each bead were made in the same way but with a single
dab down at the beginning and the ne thread that was pulled out was allowed to
drop onto the bead surface as the bead was turned (see Fig. 15).
Fig. 15. How the beads are made
a – applying the hot glass threads to the wound glass bead by dabbing the hot glass at each change of direction;
b – applying the concentric bands to the ends.
Drawing by Sue Heaser
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN
128
It is interesting to note that many of these beads have broken along the line of
the concentric decoration at one or other of the ends. is could have been caused
by the bead partially cooling before the hot decoration was added. Lack of sucient
melting in of the decoration or annealing would have caused fractures along this
line and the end would shear o in time.
5. CONCLUSIONS
e British beads are interesting additions to the known corpus of these beads
because they are all from datable levels. e dates are within the date range of those
already observed in continental Europe, namely from the 4 c. to the 6 c. e four
beads described here are all very similar to each other. Two are from a 4c. to 5c.
Roman cemetery and two from two dierent pagan 6 c. Anglo-Saxon burials.
Geographically they are well spread with the Risby bead found in Eastern England
and the other three in more Western parts.
It is possible that the beads were brought to Britain by Roman soldiers who were
resident in Britain between the 1 c. and 5 c. e Near Eastern origin of the beads,
probably Syrian, ties in well with this theory. e Syrian auxiliary regiment Cohors I
Hamiorum sagittariorum, was known to have been in Britain in the 2 c. is was a
cohort of some 480 men who were specialist archers and came from Hama in north
Syria and were stationed on Hadrian’s Wall in northern Britain (Birley, 2012). e
Legio secunda Augusta, which was in Britain for the entire period of Roman occupa-
tion, was based rst in Gloucester (30 km from Cirencester) and later in Caerleon,
Wales. is legion may have had Syrian soldiers as well but since it helped with the
building of the Wall at this time, contact between these units is certain.
e fact that so few of these beads have been found suggests they were imported
as personal ornaments, perhaps by the wives of the soldiers, rather than traded. e
beads found in the later burials would most likely have been heirloom beads, kept
and treasured down the generations.
ere may be more beads of this type stored in British museums and I will
continue to search for them.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following museums for their help and for letting me study and
photograph the beads in their collections: West Stow Anglo-Saxon Museum; Corinium
Museum, Cirencester; Salisbury Museum.
DARK ELLIPSOID BEADS IN BRITAIN 129
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED
Birley A.R.2012, e “Cohors I Hamiorum” in Britain, „Acta Classica”, 55, pp. 1–16.
D e k ó w n a M . 2018, Bead variety of dark glass decorated with glass thread. Problems of origin
and chronology, [in:] e historical glass – A multidisciplinary approach to historical glass
III, D.Staššíková-Štukovská ed., pp. 127–142.
E d w a r d s o n A . R . 1959, Further excavations on the tumuli at Risby, „Proceedings of the
Suolk Institute of Archaeology”, 28, pp. 152–160.
Guido M.1999, e glass beads of Anglo-Saxon England, c. AD 400–700, Woodbridge.
Leeds E.T.Shortt, H.de S.1953, An Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Petersnger, near
Salisbury, Wilts, Salisbury.
McWhirr A., Viner L., Wells C.1982, Romano-British cemeteries at Cirencester,
Cirencester.
Staššíková-Štukovská D.2017, A rare type of glass beads seen through optical analyses.
(Zriedkavý typ skleného korálika z pohl’adu optických analýz.), [in:] Devín Veroniky Plachej.
Zbornik k životnému jubileu PhDr. V.Plachej, K.Harmadyová ed., Bratislava, pp. 103–113.
Tempelmann-Mączyńska M.1985, Die Perlen der römischen Kaiserzeit und der
frühen Phase der Völkerwanderungszeit im mitteleuropäischen Barbaricum,Römisch-Ger-
manische Forschungen, 43, Mainz.