Santander, February 19th-22nd 2008 - Aranzadi

Shell beads in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B in Central Levant: Cypraeidae of Tell Aswad (Damascus, Syria)
91
Local surface wear Incisions Cracks
N° Conserved Preservation Removed Removing Holes Perforation Ventral Lateral Dorsum Natural holes Ventral Lateral Ventral Lateral Period Study
parts dorsum technique technique face face opening aperture face face face face
extremities
9 complete damaged yes ? 1 drilling? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? MPPNB impossible
11 LP burnt yes grinding ? no no yes ? no no yes no LPPNB yes
33 complete good state yes grinding no yes yes yes yes yes yes no no LPPNB yes
35 LP fragile and cracked yes grinding ? yes no yes ? no no yes yes MPPNB yes
42 complete fragile and broken yes ? 1 drilling yes ? ? ? yes no no yes yes MPPNB partial
43 complete fragile and broken no no 5 drilling on ventral f. ? ? hole on no no ? ? MPPNB partial
percussion on dorsum ventral f.
104 complete fragile and cracked yes grinding no ? ? ? probable no no yes no MPPNB yes
132 complete good state yes grinding no yes no yes yes no no yes yes MPPNB yes
143 CP good state yes hammering ? yes no yes ? yes yes no no LPPNB yes
144 LP burnt yes grinding ? no no ? ? no no yes yes MPPNB yes
176 CP fragile and cracked yes grinding 1 drilling no no yes ? yes no no yes yes MPPNB yes
180 complete fragile and broken yes grinding no ? ? ? ? no no yes ? LPPNB yes
CM-30a complete ? yes hammering no ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? MPPNB no
CM-57 LP ? yes grinding 1 drilling ? ? ? ? yes ? ? ? ? MPPNB no
Table 1. Main typological and technological aspects of the cowrie beads found at Tell Aswad. CS: columellar part; LS: labral part.
Figure 2. Cowrie beads from Tell Aswad (excavations 2001-2007). a: Complete specimen n°33 (from left to right: ventral, lateral and dorsal
views); b: Complete specimen n°132 (ventral and dorsal views); c: Bad-preserved and broken specimen n°180 (dorsal view); d: Columellar part
n°143 (ventral, lateral and dorsal views); e: Complete specimen n°42 (ventral view); f: Labral part n°144 (lateral and dorsal views); g: Labral part
n°35 (lateral and dorsal views) h: Complete specimen n°104 (ventral and dorsal views); i: Broken columellar part n°176 (ventral and dorsal views);
j: Broken specimen n°43 (ventral view of the columellar part and lateral view of the inner labral part); k: Labral part n° 11 (dorsal view).
MUNIBE Suplemento - Gehigarria 31, 2010
S.C. Aranzadi. Z.E. Donostia/San Sebastián