The Study of Bead Materials in Lower Kiridi - Oya Basin

Abstract

Artifacts are the most important objects to understand the past human behavior. Among artifacts, beads are one of the best material evidences to reconstruct human narratives. Research area of the study was the ancient Magama city. It is situated in the southren region in Sri Lanka. Archaeological excavation had been carried out in ancient Magama in Lower Kridioya Basin. This excavation reported a number of 151 beads. According to that, the sample of this research was these 151 beads. The objective of this research study was to study the cultural development in ancient Magama city based on the materials of beads. The research problem was, "How to identify cultural patterns of ancient Magama city through materials of beads in LKB"? Several methods were used in the research study. Firstly, literary sources were used to collect of qualitative data. Secondly, the researcher studied ancient beads which are found in Magma city based on a quantitative method. Observation was mainly used as the primary data collection technique. As a result, the researcher could identify specialties of beads material and detected new evidence through these beads sample. Several materials are used to manufacture beads such as clay, stone, bone, teeth, metal and glass. Most of the beads meterials are based on stones (Amazonite, Agate, Ametheyst, Granet, and Quartz). Finally, 69.99% of beads were recorded as stone beads made of different kinds of stone meterilas. The key findings of the study were the assistance of technical skills, aesthetic skills, foreign relations, political stability, decline, and urban degeneration of ancient society. In conclusion, ancient cultural patterns could be identified through the meterials of beads sample and based on these findings. Further, it is important to understand the value of beads as archaeological evidence in ancient Magama city to identify ancient human behaviors and cultural patterns.