Glazed Steatite Beads from Merhgarh and Nausharo (Pakistani Balochistan)

Steatite ornaments have been found all along the different phases of occupation of the Baluchistan sites of Mehrgarh and Nausharo (Indus area) which range from about 7000 to 2000 BCE. The authors show that the emergence of the first glazed beads goes back to the ancient Chalcolithic period (around 4000 BCE) and that this use of glaze underwent changes during the following two millennia. The authors believe that the observed changes are only linked to a local evolution in traditional glazing techniques rather than to the existence of different workshops.