The secret of Papanaidupet

Abstract

Nearly the entire population of the village of Papanaidupet is engaged in the production of glass beads. There is a strict division of labour between men and women. It is not known when bead-making in Papanaidupet began, let alone whether a tradition reaching back into Roman times can be proved. The beads are made from tubes that are not blown but drawn with the aid of a curious instrument called a ladha. This technique is of particular interest to archaeologists because telltale pieces of waste from archaeological excavations in Arikamedu betray the use of a ladha or ladha-like instrument two thousand years ago when Arikamedu was in close contact with the Roman world.