New research has revealed that nomadic tribes in Central Asia used sophisticated diamond drills to perforate gemstones for jewelry-making as early as 2,000 years ago. These tribes, including the Yuezhi culture, crafted necklaces, bracelets, and pendants with precision, utilizing the hardest naturally occurring material on Earth. While diamond is commonly used today in industrial drilling, its historical use may have been more widespread than previously thought.
Earlier studies suggested that bead perforation with diamond drills began during the Bronze Age in the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished in present-day northern India and Pakistan. Some scholars also believe that ancient Egyptians may have employed diamond tools to drill into granite as early as the third millennium BCE.
To explore how far this technique spread, researchers analyzed 51 stone beads from the Rabat Cemetery in Uzbekistan. Using scanning electron microscopy, they examined the interior surfaces of drill holes on beads made of semi-precious stones such as carnelian, agate, and garnet. The cemetery, dating back to the second century BCE to the first century CE, was part of the historic region of Bactria and was associated with the Yuezhi nomads.
Results showed that 41 of the beads bore markings consistent with diamond drilling. Researchers believe ancient artisans first used a single diamond drill—featuring a lone diamond at the tip—to start the hole. They then switched to a narrower double diamond drill, with two symmetrically placed diamonds, to complete the perforation.
Similar drilling techniques have been found on beads from the Kwa Mgogo site in Tanzania, though these artifacts were produced centuries later. Importantly, researchers identified significant differences between the drilling methods used in Bactria and those seen in the Indus Valley. This suggests that the beads found at the Rabat Cemetery were not imported from India or Pakistan, as previously believed, but were likely crafted locally.
The study indicates that diamond drilling technology was in use across southern and central Asia by 2,000 years ago. However, the precise origin of the beads remains unclear, as no actual drills or bead-making workshops have been discovered near the cemetery. Further archaeological investigations may provide more insights into this ancient craft.
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