BEAD

A complete glass bead of unknown date. The bead is annular in shape and cylindrical in section with a slightly off centre circular perforation. The glass is an opaque blue-green colour, with a single decorative motif of a white glass spiral encircling the bead. The spiral begins close to the central perforation on one face spiralling around most of the circumference of the perforation in a single loop until it broadens and borders the outer edge. The spiral is then interrupted by a break, where it then continues to encircle the outer body of the bead bordering the opposite edge, then completing by spiralling around the central perforation on the reverse face.

This spiral would have been made by trailing melted glass on the surface of bead and then heating so it becomes flush with the surface. The spiral on this bead is relatively raised on one surface of the bead, whereas the reverse surface is flusher. This suggests that the spiral was intentionally left raised on one surface, to accentuate and distinguish the spiral for decorative purposes.

The bead is 13.7mm in diameter, 3.7mm thick and weighs 0.9g.

Glass beads are very difficult to date with any certainty as they were commonly used from the Iron Age onwards. In particular annular blue glass beads are very popular. The bead is similar to spiral motif beads from the Iron Age (see Foulds 2017, p270). However, the raised spiral portion, which is well preserved, may indicate the bead is of a later date. This could range from early Medieval to Post Medieval.