The systematic techno-stylistic and chemical study of glass beads from post-15th century West African sites

Article Article scientifique Article The systematic techno-stylistic and chemical study of glass beads from post-15th century West African sites eng 2025-02-10 author Truffa Giachet Miriam 0000-0001-7611-5558 Laboratoire Archéologie Africaine & Anthropologie (ARCAN), Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 830624 author Gratuze Bernard 0000-0001-6136-8085 Centre Ernest-Babelon de l'Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux (IRAMAT-CEB, UMR 7065), CNRS/University of Orléans, Orléans, France. author Genequand Denis 0000-0001-9928-547X Laboratoire Archéologie Africaine & Anthropologie (ARCAN), Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Site et Musée romains d'Avenches, Avenches, Switzerland. 811338 author Loukou Yao Serge Bonaventure History Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal. 683454 author Huysecom Eric 0000-0003-4205-0914 Laboratoire Archéologie Africaine & Anthropologie (ARCAN), Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 24087 Administration de la section de biologie (BIAD) author Mayor Anne 0000-0002-3665-1804 Laboratoire Archéologie Africaine & Anthropologie (ARCAN), Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 23694 Administration de la section de biologie (BIAD) e0318588 10.1371/journal.pone.0318588 39928606 1932-6203 https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318588 The systematic chemical analysis of large collections of archaeological glass beads is essential to better understand trade patterns at different times around the world. Glass beads' trade towards and within sub-Saharan West Africa grew exponentially over time to culminate with the establishment of the Atlantic Trade. Although these artefacts are very commonly found in archaeological contexts dating after the 15th century CE, the assemblages are generally poorly studied from a chemical point of view. We present here the study of 916 glass beads found in five archaeological sites in Ghana, Mali, and Senegal, in contexts dated between the 15th and the mid-20th century CE. Besides the techno-stylistic classification of the whole assemblage, the compositional study of a sub-group of 578 monochrome and polychrome glass beads was performed. The 798 glass samples composing the selected beads were therefore classified based on their main chemical composition. Moreover, major, minor, and trace elements analysis by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and the statistical analysis of the results by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) led to the identification of the probable origin of the glass. Different suppliers were distinguished for the Ghanaian earlier beads and the Senegalese and Malian later ones, in relation to the different European trade partners at different times. Glass beads Glass provenance LA-ICP-MS Glass analysis Archaeometry of glass West Africa Atlantic trade Dewey 320 Dewey 590 Die Schweizerisch-Liechtensteinische Stiftung für archäologische Forschungen im Ausland Geneva Department of Public Education Fondation Ernst et Lucie Schmidheiny Swiss National Science Foundation Peuplement humain et paléoenvironnement en Afrique de l'Ouest - Projet Falémé 143445 CH Projects Swiss National Science Foundation Peuplement humain et paléoenvironnement en Afrique de l'Ouest - Projet Falémé 163022 CH Projects 44 Département de génétique et évolution 162 24 Global Studies Institute 0DJ false 1230 Laboratoire Archéologie africaine & Anthropologie PloS one 20 2 018f2f25-984a-4e82-87fa-5f0648526174 Article (Published version) Public journal.pone.0318588.pdf 2907837 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 4867a93ec802922d43a7f0a5036dcce8defd4d01574eeabd93dae5a2d48fec54 openAccess Faculté des sciences / Section de biologie / Département de génétique et évolution Centres et instituts / Global Studies Institute

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The systematic techno-stylistic and chemical study of glass beads from post-15th century West African sites	PloS one			2025	93	69

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Genequand, Denis