Steatite beads from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida: A case study in early Bronze Age technology in Northern Coastal Lebanon

Seven Early Bronze Age small stone beads have been recovered from Tell Fadous-Kfarabida in northern Lebanon, six of which have been identified as fired steatite (synthetic enstatite) via SEM/EDX and XRD analysis. As steatite is not a material available locally in Lebanon or the surrounding coastal Levant, these beads indicate long-distance material, and probably technological, exchange. This analysis is the first such study undertaken for Lebanese material, and therefore offers an important opportunity for discussion and comparison with other regional studies.