Necklaces or embroidered elements of costume? The functions of multi-bead assemblages in the Middle Byzantine Period (evidence from cemeteries in Bulgaria)

The present article is focused on the issues surrounding the study of glass beads and their various functions. It mainly addresses the large sets of glass beads that have been unearthed in cemeteries in Thrace, which are known to have been used to decorate elements of medieval costumes. The data demonstrate that the beads were predominantly located in the neckline area, with some instances in the sleeves area. It has been observed that they also adorned headscarves, or veils that were wrapped around the head and intertwined in the neck area. The existence of this element of the costume is corroborated by both written sources and images. Graves in which such artefacts have been unearthed unequivocally suggest their association with female juveniles and young adults. The materials found in these assemblages can be dated to the 12th and even the end of the 12th/beginning of the 13th c. AD.