135 The development and elaboration of softstone and marine shell bead production is one of the major questions that need to be addressed in the ongoing research of early human coastal adaptations in the Oman Peninsula. This research aimed first at testing the archaeological significance of beads as an indicator of cultural variability among the Late Neolithic coastal communities of Oman based on a series of specific stylistic, technological and morphometric features. Around 600 softstone and marine shell beads were documented from eight Late Neolithic sites located along the coast of the Sultanate of Oman, including both settlements and necropolises. From North to South the sites are, Ras Al-Hamra RH- 5, RH-6 and RH-10 in Muscat; Wadi Shab GAS-1 near Tiwi; Ras Al-Hadd HD-5, Ras Al-Khabbah KHB-1 and Suwayh SWY-1 and SWY-2 along the Ja’alan coast (for a general overview of the sites, see Salvatori 2007; Pisan et al. 2013; Marcucci et al. 2014; Zazzo et al. 2016; Tosi and Usai 2003; Usai 2006, Charpentier et al. 1998; Méry and Charpentier 2002) (Figure 11.1). Geographically, the sites can be broadly grouped in two main regions, one in the North near the capital area of Muscat and the others in Ja’alan, even if for many respects Wadi Shab GAS- 1, which falls in the middle of this distribution, may represent an intermediary tradition. The chronology for the entire corpus covers the Middle to Late Neolithic periods, ca. 6000 to 3200 BC. Stylistic, morphometric and technological study The study of the stylistic, morphometric and technological features of the beads from these sites was undertaken to determine the range of variability within and between sites and over time. The beads were systematically documented using a methodology developed for studying beads from the Indus Valley region and adapted for the ranges of variability found in Oman (Kenoyer 2017). The main variables documented for each bead include raw material, manufacturing features such as chipping, grinding, sawing, drilling, and final polishing or various surface treatments. Over all bead shape and size were recorded along with use wear and any post-depositional weathering features. Surface modifications that can be in fact associated with use wear are extremely important for determining how beads were used and eventually deposited in the archaeological record. All beads were eventually scanned at 600 dpi using a flatbed scanner. In addition, about one-third of the beads from each site were selected for a detailed technological study based on silicone casts of the drill holes Marilisa Buta • University of Bologna • marilisa.buta@gmail.com Dennys Frenez • University of Bologna • dennys.frenez@gmail.com Eugenio Bortolini • University of Bologna • eugenio.bortolini2@unibo.it Vincent Charpentier • Inrap, UMR 7041 • vincent.charpentier@inrap.fr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer • University of Wisconsin–Madison • jkenoyer@wisc.edu Window 11 Bead Production in the Late Neolithic Communities of Coastal Oman Marilisa Buta, Dennys Frenez, E. Bortolini, V. Charpentier & J.M. Kenoyer