Two Strands Are Better Than One

The glass treasure find from Stora Ryk, Färgelanda parish, Dalsland, Sweden.

Pennsic LIII War Point Arts & Sciences Competition, August 3, 2026

Materials: COE 104 Glass, Carnelian Beads, Quartz Crystal Beads

Abstract:

From the dawn of time, people adorned themselves with bits and baubles for myriad reasons: to show wealth, prowess in hunting (Dubin 22), spiritualism, for expression of self, for claim of culture, ritualistic purposes to name a few.  These adornments also came in many forms, such as teeth, fossils, shells, bone, stone, ivory and finally glass beads which became prevalent in the Early Middle Ages (Barfod, Febrile, Sindbaek, 1).

I am fascinated by the unbridled human need to create, and so the scope of my project not only covers making the glass beads to scale, but the history of how, when, and why it would have been done in period.  How someone would combine different natural elements to science their way to a decorative expression of self, faith, or protection.  The symbolism and visual aesthetic of the various colors that evolved and were combined. 

I was first introduced to this necklace through a photograph (below) that showed only eight of the thirty-six beads that were found in this excavation. 

 My research brought me the details of the entirety of the collection, the supposed wealth class of the woman who was believed to have worn this item, the materials and techniques as they would have been used historically, and the multiple areas from which they would have been sourced. 

Surprisingly, the horde was not buried with human remains, but seemed to be protected in the earth for safekeeping, under a piece of already-broken pottery.  In my full documentation, I have also included a detailed description of the materials and techniques I used to create my reproduction.

Please read my full documentation of this project HERE