BEADS IN [Ethiopian*] SOCIETY: INTRODUCTION
Peter Francis, Jr.
Beads are small, highly portable, and often made of durable materials. Those who made and used beads commonly prized them highly. Beads are one of the world’s earliest art forms, and among the few genres to leave substantial evidence of itself (e.g., Balme and Morse, 2006; Henshilwood et al., 2004; Holden, 2004). Beads are universal.
This is why beads are important clues for understanding past human endeavors. Beads reflect behaviors that influenced people’s lives: the economic, the technological, the social, and the ideational. We study beads, not for their own sake, but for what they can tell us about the people who made, traded, used, and ultimately disposed of them.
Some of the world’s most desolate and/or isolated regions were apparently first explored to find bead materials. The manufacture of beads reflects the development of many technologies including metallurgy, rotary drilling, ground stone tools, and ceramics (particularly glass and faience). In a real sense, beads are the perfect little trade item, meaning that ancient communication can be tracked through their study. Since beads also serve social roles and ideational roles (as amulets or talismans and as decoration) they offer new paths for understanding those aspects of culture most commonly concealed from the archaeologist. Their disposal—whether in a grave, an offering, a cache, rubbish heap, trap, or just scattered around a site—encodes information about past activities.
From: THE BEADS OF ST. CATHERINES ISLAND by ELLIOT H. BLAIR, LORANN S. A. PENDLETON AND PETER J. FRANCIS, JR., ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, Number 89, 2009
*Insertion by Dr Deborah
Call for Proposals
Dr Deborah Zinn*, in conjunction with the Ethiopian Bead Society is seeking two Ethiopian Masters students who are interested in undertaking bead-related research for their Theses in the 2009/2010 academic year. (Note: interested PhD students can also respond to this opportunity.)
Beads have a relation to many disciplines, for example:
· History - beads can provide historical insight into trading patterns from antiquity through present times
· Anthropology - use of beads reflect cultural practices and patterns
· Art, design and/or business - contemporary jewelry design can create viable export opportunities
· Religious studies - beads are often used for religious purposes (e.g., prayer beads, rosaries)
· Archaeology or Tourism Studies - beads can be used a temporal markers in archaeological research
The intent of this proposal is to increase the awareness of bead research amongst Ethiopians as well as to develop the Ethiopian contribution to this literature.
Action required: Please email an outline (maximum one page) of your research concept, a one-page letter outlining your interest in and rationale for the topic, and your CV to Dr Deborah at
Deadline: June 15, 2009 (no extensions will be granted)
Requirements: The thesis must be completed during the 2009/2010 academic year. Required products will include an Annotated Bibliography and a Thesis that will be made available online. Additionally, the student will be required to become a member of the Ethiopian Bead Society, attend monthly meetings and present a brief update on research progress at each meeting, during the course of the research project. Preference will be given to students who are also interested in publishing their work as academic articles or as a book. Those with an interest in presenting their findings at a future ICES (International Conference on Ethiopian Studies) conference will be viewed positively.
Benefits: The selected student(s) will receive:
· A monthly stipend of 750 Birr per month from September 2009 thru June 2010 (10 months)
· Research costs of up to 5,000 Birr, based on a justified research budget (Thesis proposal must be approved by the student’s Academic Department prior to granting of costs.)
· Mentoring on research and writing from Dr Deborah (including access to global bead researchers and the beginnings of a Literature Review)
Note: The decision about the granting of this award is exclusively the responsibility of Dr Deborah. She will consult with others as appropriate. However, if suitable applications are not presented, no award will be made. The decision by Dr Deborah is final.
*Dr Deborah is an IFESH volunteer from USA and Australia. She arrived in Ethiopia in 2007/8 as an Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Addis Ababa University; in 2008/9, she is a Senior Expert, Higher Education Strategy Center. In 2009/2010, she will return to Addis Ababa University with the Faculty of Journalism and Communication.
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