Personal adornments in West-Central Africa—the case study of a talc bead from the Kongo Kingdom (Mbanza Kongo, Angola)

A mustard-gold-colored talc bead, discovered during excavations at Lumbu (Mbanza Kongo, Angola), represents the first evidence of local production of personal adornment objects within the Kongo Kingdom. This bead, likely manufactured using talc sources known to the local population, suggests intra-kingdom trade or was intended as an offering for nobility. The study employed a multi-analytical and minimally invasive approach to distinguish it from imported glass beads, highlighting craft specialization in central and southern Africa dating back to pre-historic times.

Costa, M., Barrulas, P., Lopes, M. d. C., Barreira, J., de Jesus, M. d. P., da Silva Domingos, S., Vandenabeele, P., & Mirão, J. (2023). Personal adornments in West-Central Africa—the case study of a talc bead from the Kongo Kingdom (Mbanza Kongo, Angola). Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-023-01723-6