Glass in Indian Archaeology, Ancient Literature, Historical Records and Colonial Accounts

Abstract

Archaeological remains of glass in India are visible majorly in the form of beads and bangles and rarely in other forms. Ancient Indian texts refer to the use of beads in different sociocultural milieu, the latter texts and social customs define the customs related to the use of glass bangles, historical records identify the unique feature of Indian glass and the colonial accounts that documented the native glass production and glass bangle-making in different regions of India. These records help reconstructing and inferring the archaeological finds.