What techniques were beaders using in 20,000 BC? Beadwork historian Valerie Hector investigates a man’s densely beaded hat, found in a cave along ancient Italy’s Ligurian coast. The hat was heavily encrusted with sea shell beads. What beading technique was used to connect them - bead netting, bead plaiting, or something else?

Valerie begins a series of posts devoted to major advances in the field of beadwork that she thinks of as “quantum leaps” or game-changing advances. Quantum Leap #1 might well be the development of bead embroidery. The earliest surviving evidence - from ca. 26,000 BC - was found at an archaeological site in Sungir, a town not far from Moscow. Beading historian Valerie Hector discusses this amazing find.