TUBULAR AMBER BEADS FROM THE NEOLITHIC SETLEMENT AT ZVIDZE IN THE LAKE LUBĀNS WETLANDS

Abstract

This paper discusses the most important ancient amber tubular beads from the Zvidze settlement in the Lake Lubāns wetlands, and their analogies in the forest zone of Eastern Europe. Special attention is paid to specific forms of amber bead: cylindrical, beads with a thickening in the middle part, rounded, arched diamond-shaped and other archaic beads, long and short barrel-type, spool-type, beads with oval pinched cross-cuts, and spherical beads.Analogies of amplified amber beads (with a thickening in the middle) have been found in the very wide area of the forest zone of Eastern Europe (Konchanskoe, Repistche, Tudozero, and so on). A review of the Zvidze tubular amber beads allows us to consider that some bead types (barrel-shaped, spherical, diamond-shaped) are more widespread in the ancient world. Key words: Zvidze settlement, Neolithic, amber, tubular beads, distribution, analogies. DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v20i0.813