Highlights the contributions of India in bead manufacturing and trading since the upper Palaeolithic period. Traditional bead manufacturing, still an active craft at the present-day Khambhat, is also discussed in detail.

Several archaeological sites of different cultural periods have revealed evidence of bead manufacturing. Those discoveries not only reveal the extent of artisanal bead manufacturing in ancient times, but also establish the skills involved. An extensive inter- and intra-regional network for the procurement of raw materials and the distribution of finished products existed in the country to meet supply and demand. Thus, India has always been one of the largest producers of beads worldwide.

This study provides a detailed account of bead manufacturing and trade in India and is a fascinating read for anyone interested in discovering more about India`s achievement in the bead-making technology, one of the little-known areas of history of Indian science and technology.