Gold-in-Glass Beads from the Kazakh Altai: Manufacturing Technology and Its Implications for Eurasian Exchange

Gold-in-Glass Beads from the Kazakh Altai: Manufacturing Technology and Its Implications for Eurasian Exchange | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Gold-in-Glass Beads from the Kazakh Altai: Manufacturing Technology and Its Implications for Eurasian Exchange Agnes Puiyee Sung, Azat Aitkali, Wengcheong Lam, Yu Liu, Qi Zhao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9006921/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Gold-in-glass (GG) beads, composite ornaments encapsulating metal foil between glass layers, are widely distributed across the Mediterranean and Inner Asia, yet their presence and transmission remain insufficiently understood. In particular, the mechanisms by which Mediterranean natron composite glass circulated within pastoral-nomadic steppe networks require clarification. This study examines two GG beads from a third–fourth century CE burial at Tautekeli in the Kazakh Altai, a corridor linking the central and eastern steppe. Integrated SEM–EDS and micro-CT analyses demonstrate natron soda–lime glass compositions and reveal differing production strategies: one bead combines distinct glass batches, while the other derives from a single source. Structural evidence supports a drawn-tube core with viscous outer-layer application rather than formation by double tubes. This study provides new insight into the technological flexibility of GG bead production and shows that Mediterranean natron glass continued circulating across Eurasian steppe networks into the third–fourth centuries CE. Gold-in-glass beads natron glass Eurasian steppe exchange SEM-EDS Micro-CT Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 08 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 07 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 04 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 03 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 27 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 05 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 02 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9006921","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":603317208,"identity":"29384446-917f-4250-9796-1600c7e4f50f","order_by":0,"name":"Agnes Puiyee Sung","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6klEQVRIie2RsQrCMBBATyJxCbomBPQXUoRS0Y9pEZykFFycVBCcBNcWwW/wE+pSl5auARe7OHd0NO3klNJNMG+4u+Eed8cBGAy/ShlQoCojiFWMAXd2DUYnFG0VRAS0UAanLOEz4fhsh148SGHYly4uQo1Cpb/gS0FXHLDNQwljJt2eddVtJYldKd4FCOakBO+qprCnxhjlqc2dL2XbqIh4aXNQyrlWJLiiUnSLWdKfT45KifZ4PCUptaK0ODDd+cM8u8n3euOF933xIMls1L/PE3bUnQ+kS+uM6ljVjY8kqGzoMBgMhn/nA9ZQR8EmPoqiAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Chinese University of Hong Kong","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Agnes","middleName":"Puiyee","lastName":"Sung","suffix":""},{"id":603317209,"identity":"a7090b84-071d-4b32-99f2-dac80ecc5485","order_by":1,"name":"Azat Aitkali","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Margulan Institute of Archaeology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Azat","middleName":"","lastName":"Aitkali","suffix":""},{"id":603317210,"identity":"f1b60505-71a2-4857-9476-4699da9eb367","order_by":2,"name":"Wengcheong Lam","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Chinese University of Hong Kong","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wengcheong","middleName":"","lastName":"Lam","suffix":""},{"id":603317211,"identity":"bf303e52-788c-4781-be3e-1e28dac16aef","order_by":3,"name":"Yu Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hong Kong Polytechnic University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yu","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":603317212,"identity":"7e127a76-f0a2-4c1f-8394-1c2610647e15","order_by":4,"name":"Qi Zhao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hong Kong Polytechnic University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qi","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-02 07:27:01","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9006921/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9006921/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104441528,"identity":"e98d4134-f4e2-4325-8ddd-e1edce4751af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 18:32:16","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1131513,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"GoldGlassBeadsKazakh0304v7.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9006921/v1_covered_e268623d-5e77-4ee4-a88b-91062e4521d2.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Gold-in-Glass Beads from the Kazakh Altai: Manufacturing Technology and Its Implications for Eurasian Exchange","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"npj-heritage-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"hsci","sideBox":"Learn more about [Heritage Science](http://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"40494","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/40494/3","title":"npj Heritage Science","twitterHandle":"@SpringerOpen","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Gold-in-glass beads, natron glass, Eurasian steppe exchange, SEM-EDS, Micro-CT","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9006921/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9006921/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eGold-in-glass (GG) beads, composite ornaments encapsulating metal foil between glass layers, are widely distributed across the Mediterranean and Inner Asia, yet their presence and transmission remain insufficiently understood. 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