RARE ANTIQUE VIKING BEAD ANCIENT ARTIFACT

After the Viking invasion of England in 866AD they lived more or less peacefully, occupying about half of what today is England. Among the artifacts from that time are beads which often are found along side metal objects and weapons discovered by metal detectors. For auction is a Viking mandrel wound blue bead. It is around 8.1 mm ( 1/3 inch) diameter. These are hand wound over a wire or mandrel and each has its own form as a result. The mandrel is coated with a release material, perhaps charcoal, which prevents the glass from sticking and allows removal of the mandrel. The remains of that black release agent are clearly visible inside the hole. VJK106