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Pitt Rivers Museum

1924.42.8

Bead of shell, in box with others [1924.42.8 - .18], some of which are fragmentary [L.Ph 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 7/6/2005]


1924.42.8

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Collection type
Object
Description
Bead of shell, in box with others [1924.42.8 - .18], some of which are fragmentary [L.Ph 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 7/6/2005]
Geographical reference
Tamil Nadu Vellore Dictrict Odugathur
Person
Field collector Frederick John Richards
PRM source Frederick John Richards
Date / Period
Archaeological period: Iron Age
Date collected
By 1924
Acquisition information
Donated: 1924
Materials and processes
Material Shell, Process Perforated
Dimensions
Length: max 120 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1924.42.8
Research and responses

The article in which Richards reports the excavation of the graves in which this object was found (see Publications for full reference) records the Iron Age cemetery as being located a mile south of Odugattur village (approx. lat. 12.752471, long. 78.901488). This name of this village is now more commonly spelt Odugathur and is located in the district of Vellore, Tamil Nadu state. [MN 03/11/2009]

Associated publications
Frederick John Richards published the report on his excavation of Iron Age Graves at Odugattur the 1924 issue of The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Richards describes the Chank shell objects he excavated from the graves and provides photographs of a selection in plates XXXI (fig. 3) and XXXII. It is not currently known if the Chank shell artefacts in the PRM are any of those illustrated. Full reference: Richards, F. J. 1924. Note on Some Iron Age Graves at Odugattur, North Arcot District, South India. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 54: pp. 157-165. This article is available on JSTOR, the stable URL is http://www.jstor.org/stable/2843665. [MN 03/11/2009]

Search terms: Bead, Death, Religion, Ornament, Grave Good