Bead-making and Long-distance Gemstone Trade (c. 3000–1500 BCE)

1. Early Harappan craft traditions expand bead use

   Jan 1, 3000 BCELabels: Early Harappan, Bead production

   • Britannica
   • Harappa

2. Mature Harappan urbanism intensifies craft specialization

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Mature Harappan, Bead-making

   • Britannica
   • Harappa

3. Standardized weights support gemstone trade accounting

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Harappan weights, Trade accounting

   • Harappa
   • Harappa

4. Etched carnelian beads reach Royal Cemetery of Ur

   Jan 1, 2600 BCELabels: Etched carnelian, Royal Cemetery

   • British Museum
   • Wikipedia

5. Chanhudaro emerges as a major bead-making center

   Jan 1, 2500 BCELabels: Chanhudaro, Bead workshops

   • Wikipedia
   • DAWN

6. Harappans develop alkaline etching for carnelian

   Jan 1, 2500 BCELabels: Alkaline etching, Carnelian

   • Wikipedia
   • British Museum

7. Indus-to-Mesopotamia bead exchange peaks in mid-3rd millennium

   Jan 1, 2350 BCELabels: Indus Mesopotamia, Gemstone exchange

   • Wikipedia
   • Indus hu

8. Susa receives Indus etched carnelian beads

   Jan 1, 2300 BCELabels: Susa, Etched carnelian

   • Wikipedia
   • British Museum

9. Gudea texts reference carnelian and lapis from Meluhha

   Jan 1, 2100 BCELabels: Gudea texts, Meluhha

   • Wikipedia
   • Indus hu

10. Shortugai trading colony links Indus to lapis sources

    Jan 1, 2000 BCELabels: Shortugai, Lapis sources

    • Wikipedia

11. Dilmun’s role as Gulf intermediary strengthens Indus links

    Jan 1, 2000 BCELabels: Dilmun, Gulf intermediary

    • UNESCO

12. Late Harappan transformations reduce long-distance bead exchange

    Jan 1, 1900 BCELabels: Late Harappan, Exchange contraction

    • Britannica
    • Wikipedia