Study on the most early glass eye-beads in China unearthed from Xu Jialing Tomb in Xichuan of Henan Province, China

The eye-beads dating to the early Warring States Period unearthed from Xu Jialing Tomb in Xichuan County of Henan Province, China are studied. The structure and the chemical composition of the samples are analysed by the undestructive methods of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) technique. The results show that these eye-beads are of glass state. Its chemical composition indicates that they belong to the glass of soda lime silicate system (Na2O-CaO-SiO2). By comparing the decorative design and the chemical composition of the samples with those from ancient Babylon and ancient Egypt, we think that these ancient eye-beads in Xichuan were most possibly imported from the West.