Non-Destructive Testing Analysis of Ancient Paiwan Glass Bead

The ancient glass beads, which made of quartz, is the oldest artificial jewelry in the world and used for imitate jade. The material features and symbolic value of glass beads have an important role in ancient Paiwan society. Since glass-making technology was not developed locally, most glass beads were traded to Paiwan from overseas and introduced into indigenous societies via various sources and paths during different periods. However, many indigenous people collected glass beads and stringed them together to make necklaces, headdresses, bracelets, anklets and earrings, or stitched them on clothes as decorations. Due to some special material features such as their ease of transportation, freedom for combination, shiny gloss, and richness of colors, glass beads are operated not only as ornaments, but also as media for exchange, or signs of value and power. In this research, micro-Raman spectroscopy and micro X-ray fluorescent spectrometer (EDXRF) were used in combination to examine ancient Paiwan glass beads and glass beads excavated from Indonesia. The results show chemical compositions of the ancient glass beads from Paiwan and Indonesia are the same.