Naming, Value, and Order: An Ethnographic Study of Paiwan Glass Beads toward a Heuristic Framework for Archaeological Interpretation

CHANG Chi-shan1* and YU Ming-chi2

Glass beads are prominent artifacts in archaeological contexts of eastern Taiwan, particularly in assemblages dating from the late prehistoric to early historic periods. Although compositional and technological studies have clarified aspects of production and exchange, the social meanings and cultural logic attached to these objects remain difficult to infer solely from material evidence. This paper presents an ethnographic study of contemporary Paiwan glass beads among the Raval group in southern Taiwan, focusing on the Kawmakan family of Tavadran village. Drawing on long-term fieldwork and ethnolinguistic documentation, the study analyses 59 named beads and examines their classificatory principles, value hierarchies, and symbolic associations. The findings reveal an internally structured system of material knowledge linking bead names to natural phenomena, biological categories (such as insects and birds), human anatomy, and social rank. This research does not assume direct historical continuity between archaeological assemblages in eastern Taiwan and contemporary Paiwan society. Rather, it proposes that documented ethnographic material knowledge may serve as a heuristic analytical framework. By clarifying how naming, order, and value operate within a living bead tradition, this study contributes a cautious interpretive perspective for considering possible social dimensions that may otherwise remain archaeologically invisible.