Yellow Ancient Excavated Nila Beads

These rare and authentic excavated ancient beads are found in a number of archeological sites in Mali. They are often referred to as "Djenne beads" after the city of Djenne which was one of the first archeological sites where these beads were discovered in Mali. The exact origin of these beads is unknown, but they are believed to be imported via a well-developed caravan trade across the Sahara. These beads also bear a striking similarity to the so-called Trade Wind or Indo-pacific beads, and there is a theory that they may have been imported from India in ancient times as part of the Indo-pacific trade. Other theories favor the Mediterranean as the possible source of these beads. While there is no clarity on their exact origin, archeological evidence places these beads in the approximately 7-12th cent. AD, although a number of sources attribute them to the earlier, Roman, period. These beads are found in many colors, and the beads in this particular listing are yellow. The strands cont