- Native American Glass Trade Beads, Glass Beads, Ancient Beads Technology, Ornament studies, Analysis of Glass Beads, Worked bone beads, and 10 moreDress and Personal Adornment (Archaeology), African Trade Beads, Beads, Ancient beads, Stone beads, Archaeology of Personal Adornment, Archaeology, Shell Bead, Philosophy of Science, and International Lawedit
- I am the retired Head of the Material Culture Research Section, Federal Archaeology Office, National Historic Sites D... moreI am the retired Head of the Material Culture Research Section, Federal Archaeology Office, National Historic Sites Directorate, Parks Canada, Ottawa. I am interested in various research fields, but with emphasis on beads, their production, classification, dating, and sourcing. I also have a major interest in the beadwork produced by the Indigenous Peoples of eastern North American, especially that of the Haudenesaunee or Six-Nations Iroquois. In 1989, I initiated Beads: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers which continues to publish peer-reviewed articles on various aspects of research on beads and beadwork. I have published many articles and several books, and am also the compiler of the extensive “Researching the World’s Beads: An Annotated Bibliography” which may be viewed on the Society of Bead Researcher’s website as well as on this site.edit
A series of protohistoric and historic burials were recovered from the Asotin site in southeast Washington in 1956 and 1972. The historic Nez Perce burials contained numerous historic grave goods including glass and brass trade beads... more
A series of protohistoric and historic burials
were recovered from the Asotin site in southeast
Washington in 1956 and 1972. The historic Nez Perce
burials contained numerous historic grave goods
including glass and brass trade beads dating
approximately from 1850 to 1865. The protohistoric and
possibly prehistoric graves contained few grave goods
except for abundant shell beads. Incised dentalia
beads exhibited typical Plateau design elements and are
compared to other southern Plateau sites.
were recovered from the Asotin site in southeast
Washington in 1956 and 1972. The historic Nez Perce
burials contained numerous historic grave goods
including glass and brass trade beads dating
approximately from 1850 to 1865. The protohistoric and
possibly prehistoric graves contained few grave goods
except for abundant shell beads. Incised dentalia
beads exhibited typical Plateau design elements and are
compared to other southern Plateau sites.
Research Interests:
In the late 1950s, John M. Goggin of the University of Florida initiated a report on European beads found at early contact archaeological sites in Florida and adjoining states. Unfortunately, he died before the report was completed. The... more
In the late 1950s, John M. Goggin of the University of Florida initiated a report on European beads found at early contact archaeological sites in Florida and adjoining states. Unfortunately, he died before the report was completed. The task of finalizing it was undertaken by colleague Charles H. Fairbanks and resulted in the attached manuscript report. While a bit out of date, this report is one of the earliest detailed studies of North American trade beads and a classic in its own right. The attached copy was provided by Andreia Martins-Torres and held by the Nels Nelson North American Archaeology Laboratory, American Museum of Natural History, New York.
Research Interests:
Early seven-layer chevron beads with faceted ends are known to have been produced in several European centers, principally Venice, but also Amsterdam and Middelburg in the Netherlands and Rouen in France. Neulautern and Walkersbach, two... more
Early seven-layer chevron beads with faceted ends are known to have been produced in several European centers, principally Venice, but also Amsterdam and Middelburg in the Netherlands and Rouen in France. Neulautern and Walkersbach, two glassmaking sites in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, may now also be added to the list.
Research Interests: Beads and Glass Beads
Presents the results of INAA analysis of a large sample of variously colored beads recovered from the wasters of a glassworks in Amsterdam. Initially believed to have operated from 1601 to 1610, that date was subsequently revised to... more
Presents the results of INAA analysis of a large sample of variously colored beads recovered from the wasters of a glassworks in Amsterdam. Initially believed to have operated from 1601 to 1610, that date was subsequently revised to 1621-1657.
Research Interests:
It was in 2012 that the University of Tübingen started the proper excavation of the temple of King Ptolemy XII at Athribis. This temple was reused for many years during the Late Roman (Coptic) and medieval (Islamic) periods until its... more
It was in 2012 that the University of Tübingen started the proper excavation of the temple of King Ptolemy XII at Athribis. This temple was reused for many years during the Late Roman (Coptic) and medieval (Islamic) periods until its destruction between the mid-10th and the mid-11th century. During that time the temple was filled with debris and rubbish, and several rooms were temporarily used as animal pens. Besides a variety of objects such as wood, fabrics, and coins, we found hundreds of beads, several pendants, and other jewelry, like horn bracelets, bronze rings, and hairpins. We have started to classify the beads in order to produce a catalog of all the jewelry as a basis for further in-depth research.
Research Interests:
Research on Borneo's heirloom beads has so far largely focused on the Dayak tribes of Sarawak in Borneo's north. To expand the study area, the author has undertaken fieldwork in both Sarawak and Kalimantan and focused on Borneo's links... more
Research on Borneo's heirloom beads has so far largely focused on the Dayak tribes of Sarawak in Borneo's north. To expand the study area, the author has undertaken fieldwork in both Sarawak and Kalimantan and focused on Borneo's links with regional and international trade routes along which its heirloom beads traveled. A further area of research has been British and Dutch colonial literature and collections of heirloom beads outside Borneo.
Research Interests:
The island of Failaka (Kuwait) is favorably situated in the Persian Gulf at the inlet of the Mesopotamian harbor cities of the 3rd to 2nd millennia BC. The island was investigated between 1958 and 2017 by several different archaeological... more
The island of Failaka (Kuwait) is favorably situated in the Persian Gulf at the inlet of the Mesopotamian harbor cities of the 3rd to 2nd millennia BC. The island was investigated between 1958 and 2017 by several different archaeological projects focusing on the remains from the Bronze Age. Two settlements (Al-Khidr and Tell F3) and two large monumental buildings (Tell F6) were uncovered. A substantial number of beads made from semiprecious stones (carnelian, agate, jasper, turquoise, and lapis lazuli) were found. Lesser numbers were made of glass, faience, and paste, as well as bone, shell, ostrich eggshell, and clay. The majority of the beads must have been brought to the island as finished goods since raw materials for their production were not locally available and little evidence of bead production has been identified on the island. The beads found at Failaka suggest that the island was tied into extensive trading networks reaching from the Indus region to the Mediterranean.
Research Interests:
Over the millennia, glass beads have been used to ornament a wide array of objects. A rare application in the 18th century was their use to personalize and adorn firearms used on the North American continent. Only five examples have been... more
Over the millennia, glass beads have been used to ornament a wide array of objects. A rare application in the 18th century was their use to personalize and adorn firearms used on the North American continent. Only five examples have been encountered so far.
Research Interests:
Provides a background for the author’s project on “Glass Trade Beads among the Iroquois.”
Research Interests:
Discusses then-current research needs on North American glass trade beads as an archaeological resource.
Research Interests:
Possibly as early as the late 18th century, Haudenesaunee women began to produce non-traditional beaded items specifically for sale to tourists. This article investigates the various venues.
Research Interests:
A new analytical methodology using trigonometric functions of Elliptical Fourier transforms (EFTs) is presented for studying morphometric proportions of stone beads. The methodology was tested using ethnographically produced bead types... more
A new analytical methodology using trigonometric functions of Elliptical Fourier transforms (EFTs) is presented for studying morphometric proportions of stone beads. The methodology was tested using ethnographically produced bead types from a single workshop compared to a discrete assemblage of stylistically similar archaeological beads from the Levant. The two-dimensional outlines of the shapes of both sets of beads were analyzed using the same methodology and EFTs were used to classify beads by their stylistic types and calculate their average morphometric values. These data defined the variation present within a techno-stylistic workshop tradition. EFT data from the modern bead groups were compared to the archaeological samples and both shared the quantitative characteristic of a single workshop tradition. The archaeological samples can be interpreted as reflecting a distinctive workshop tradition. This pilot study suggests that EFT analysis provides meaningful, empirical demonstrations of shared group membership, in terms of style and metrics.
Research Interests:
To reconstruct and understand adornment practices during the Kushana period of Gandhara (1st-3rd centuries CE), this article compares selected examples of beads recovered from the stratigraphically excavated site of Barikot (Swat Valley,... more
To reconstruct and understand adornment practices during the Kushana period of Gandhara (1st-3rd centuries CE), this article compares selected examples of beads recovered from the stratigraphically excavated site of Barikot (Swat Valley, Pakistan) with the forms of beads carved into regional iconography, i.e., sculptures of Bodhisattva (Buddhist divine beings) deriving from the Gandharan world. This article evaluates bead shape, size, and style to determine if the carved depictions represent actual ornaments or if they are simply symbolic or imaginative. This analysis can provide new insight into how ornaments were worn in the early historic period of South Asia and into the accuracy of iconographic depictions.
Research Interests:
This article presents beadmaking in Paris during the second half of the 16th century as seen through period documents and artifacts. Parisian archives document beadmaking by artisans called patenôtriers who made a wide range of glass... more
This article presents beadmaking in Paris during the second half of the 16th century as seen through period documents and artifacts. Parisian archives document beadmaking by artisans called patenôtriers who made a wide range of glass buttons and jewelry, including beads. Records of the patenôtriers' guild provide an idea of the number of artisans engaged in this activity, while notarial contracts and estate inventories reveal individual careers and the material dimension of beadmaking in Paris. Patenôtriers obtained their materials-soda glass and enamel supplied as tubes, rods, or ingots-from glassmakers in rural France, Altare in Italy, and a small glassworks that operated in the suburb of Saint-Germaindes-Prés in 1598-1608. They exported rosary beads to Iberia and trade beads to North America. In European terms, Paris was a major beadmaking center during the 16th century and we know its products from a small number of archaeological finds and museum holdings.
Research Interests:
Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions... more
Nueva Cadiz and associated beads are among the earliest categories of European glass beads found in the Americas. Named after the site in Venezuela where they were first identified, these tubular, square-sectioned beads occur in regions of 16th-century Spanish colonial trade. A similar style occurs around Lake Ontario in northeastern North America in areas of 17th-century Dutch and French colonial trade. We compare the chemical composition of beads from South America and Ontario, Canada, to explore their provenience and technology. Differences in key trace elements (Hf, Zr, Nd) strongly indicate separate sand origins for the two bead groups. Comparison with soda-lime glass made in Venice and Antwerp reveals chemical similarities between the South American beads and Venetian glass, and between the Ontario beads and Antwerp glass. The analysis also sheds light on beadmaking technologies.
Research Interests:
An updated assessment of the trade beads in the Jamestown collection has long been overdue since Heather Lapham's 1998 study. The size and variation of the collection has expanded to include nearly 4,000 glass beads representing over 100... more
An updated assessment of the trade beads in the Jamestown collection has long been overdue since Heather Lapham's 1998 study. The size and variation of the collection has expanded to include nearly 4,000 glass beads representing over 100 Kidd and Kidd varieties, as well as nearly 100 lapidary beads made of amber, coral, jet, amethyst, carnelian, chalcedony, agate, and quartz. The Jamestown assemblage strongly resembles those found at 16thcentury Spanish colonial sites, due to the presence of navy blue Nueva Cadiz beads manufactured in Venice and faceted quartzcrystal beads likely produced in Spain. Other beads in the collection, however, may have been imported from Venice, the Netherlands, or elsewhere. Investigation of their origins has significance for understanding the position of the Jamestown settlement within the development of early 17th-century international and local trade. The compilation of counts and typology establishes a necessary baseline upon which to build.
Research Interests:
Analysis of the elemental composition of glass has gained traction over the past few decades. The growing interest and utilization of non-destructive and micro-destructive analytical techniques has allowed for a more in-depth... more
Analysis of the elemental composition of glass has gained traction over the past few decades. The growing interest and utilization of non-destructive and micro-destructive analytical techniques has allowed for a more in-depth understanding of glass production, distribution, and consumption. The analysis of glass trade beads in particular has led to the development of a chronological sequencing for non-diagnostic seed beads opacified with metal oxides as well as ore sourcing for cobalt-blue and red beads. There is deficient research on 18th-century glass bead composition, especially of black glass beads. This article explores the elemental composition of 149 black seed beads from three 18th-century sites in Pensacola, Florida, and compares the assemblage to a small sample of similar glass beads (N=11) recovered from two sites in the United States as well as three potential glass production centers in Europe.
Research Interests:
Intricate cloisonné beads in Japan track the 19th-century upheavals in technological development and society. While late Edo Japan had developed its own aesthetic based upon Chinese sources, the Meiji quest for Western technology produced... more
Intricate cloisonné beads in Japan track the 19th-century upheavals in technological development and society. While late Edo Japan had developed its own aesthetic based upon Chinese sources, the Meiji quest for Western technology produced a uniquely Japanese cloisonné industry unmatched elsewhere in the world. Cloisonné beads mirror this change, beginning in the 1830s with decorative motifs derived from Ming cloisonné and Edo glass beads, and morphing throughout the Meiji era into tiny masterpieces demonstrating a uniquely Japanese art form captured in advanced enamel technology.
Research Interests:
This paper reconstructs the history of a family of French beadmakers in Eu County, Normandy, from 1687 to 1747, as well as the context of their migration from the urban beadmaking center of Rouen. While Normandy had produced windowpane... more
This paper reconstructs the history of a family of French beadmakers in Eu County, Normandy, from 1687 to 1747, as well as the context of their migration from the urban beadmaking center of Rouen. While Normandy had produced windowpane and bottles since the Middle Ages, artisans who made "crystal" soda glass-the glass of beads-were newcomers from Italy and Languedoc. They founded glassworks in Paris and Rouen in the late 16th century. Conflicts with Rouen artisans and merchants led the Mediterranean glassworkers to migrate to Eu County in 1634, where their crystal factories spun off a rural beadmaking trade. The present research builds on 19th-century archaeological reports of beads and beadmaking wasters in the villages of Aubermesnil-aux-Érables and Villers-sous-Foucarmont. We have identified three generations of the Demary family of beadmakers in the Eu Forest. Using genealogical methods, we have traced their migration from Rouen, their family history, and their links to Mediterranean crystal glassmakers. The example of the Demary patenôtriers sheds light on a transitional period of beadmaking in Normandy, characterized by its ruralization and its proximity with forest glassmaking in the second half of the 17th century.
Research Interests:
The dialog surrounding glass beads found in Scottish contexts is limited, particularly those found in Iron Age and Early Medieval contexts. These discussions focus largely on a narrative of diffusion from neighboring groups. This paper,... more
The dialog surrounding glass beads found in Scottish contexts is limited, particularly those found in Iron Age and Early Medieval contexts. These discussions focus largely on a narrative of diffusion from neighboring groups. This paper, however, examines the beads from a local perspective and finds that they differ significantly from those found in contemporary neighboring contexts. In fact, designs such as the triskele, marbled, and whirl beads do not appear elsewhere in the world and demonstrate significant skill and artistry on the part of local populations within Scotland. Colors also differ from neighboring groups, with deep blues and bright yellows favored over opaque reds and whites. These differences and the skill evident in the creation of these beads provide significant reason to examine the Scottish material in further detail.
Research Interests:
The archaeological investigation of Fort Rivière Tremblante, a North West Company post that operated from 1791 to 1798 in what is now southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, yielded 20,119 glass beads representing 63 varieties, as well as... more
The archaeological investigation of Fort Rivière Tremblante, a North West Company post that operated from 1791 to 1798 in what is now southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, yielded 20,119 glass beads representing 63 varieties, as well as seven wampum. While the bulk of the collection is composed of drawn seed beads, it also contains an exceptional variety of fancy wound beads. A comparison with bead assemblages recovered from other contemporary fur trade sites in western Canada reveals that both the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company carried much the same bead inventory in the region around the turn of the 19th century, with slight variations to accommodate local tastes.
Research Interests:
During the first half of the 17th century, several beadmaking establishments operated in the city of Middelburg in the southwestern corner of the Netherlands. Bead wasters recovered from several find sites in the old part of the city... more
During the first half of the 17th century, several beadmaking establishments operated in the city of Middelburg in the southwestern corner of the Netherlands. Bead wasters recovered from several find sites in the old part of the city reveal the diversity of the product line which featured beads decorated with straight and spiral stripes. Several chevron types were also produced. There are similarities with wasters found at contemporary beadmaking sites in Amsterdam, indicating that both production centers made similar bead varieties. Few of the bead varieties represented have correlatives in the areas of North America that were under Dutch control, leaving one guessing what market the Middelburg beads were destined for. In that the city was a major center for the Dutch East India Company, it may be that their market was in that part of the world. Unfortunately, comparative material from South and Southeast Asia is currently lacking.
Research Interests:
Presents the biography of an heirloomed strand of small shell beads brought from Ghana by an Englishman involved in the slave trade ca. 1795, and attempts to determine its purpose and significance.
Research Interests:
The Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection at Tokai University (AENET), Japan, contains two unique necklaces made of an opaque yellow substance identified as sulfur through XRF and XRD analysis. Sulfur beads are rare and have not... more
The Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection at Tokai University (AENET), Japan, contains two unique necklaces made of an opaque yellow substance identified as sulfur through XRF and XRD analysis. Sulfur beads are rare and have not been adequately studied. We therefore undertook a study of the AENET beads and estimate that they date to the Ptolemaic and early Roman periods in Egypt. A digital-image comparison between the AENET beads and similar beads in another museum collection shows a strong correlation, suggesting that they share a single mold. An isotopic analysis also provides a specific fingerprint of the sulfur. Experiments to replicate the beads indicated that they were made by pouring molten sulfur into a greased mold. The process is simple, revealing that a small-scale cottage industry was sufficient to make them. The beads were used for funerary purposes (likely incorporated into broad collars) rather than in daily life because oxidized sulfur emits an unpleasant odor, discouraging people from wearing them every day.
Research Interests:
A brief account of the Venetian women who spent much of their lives stringing glass beads made on Murano for distribution around the world.
Research Interests:
Earlier this year, Michael L. Kunz and Robin O. Mills published a controversial article in American Antiquity concerning “A Precolumbian Presence of Venetian Glass Trade Beads in Arctic Alaska.” In well-documented detail, this rebuttal... more
Earlier this year, Michael L. Kunz and Robin O. Mills published a controversial article in American Antiquity concerning “A Precolumbian Presence of Venetian Glass Trade Beads in Arctic Alaska.” In well-documented detail, this rebuttal points out the problems with the Precolumbian attribution.
Research Interests:
Excavation of the Pointe aux Vieux site, an 18th-century Acadian house located on western Prince Edward Island, Canada, yielded a significant assortment of beads. Among the glass and bone specimens are ten black beads decorated with... more
Excavation of the Pointe aux Vieux site, an 18th-century Acadian house located on western Prince Edward Island, Canada, yielded a significant assortment of beads. Among the glass and bone specimens are ten black beads decorated with undulating yellow lines around the middle. Commonly called “rattlesnake” beads by collectors, this stylistic form has been found at many sites in North America as well as elsewhere in the world. Unlike the other beads, however, the ones from Pointe aux Vieux are not glass but formed by melting an igneous rock called “proterobas” to form a totally opaque black glass. The only known source of beads made from this material is the Fichtelgebirge region of northeastern Bavaria. While black ball buttons made of proterobas have been encountered at various sites in the eastern United States and Western Europe, this is the first recorded instance of proterobas beads in North America. It is hoped that this article will lead to more such beads being identified in archaeological collections so that their distribution and temporal range may be determined.
Research Interests:
Many pieces of Haudenosaunee souvenir beadwork of the 19th and 20th centuries depict various animals, from common ones like cats and dogs to lions and elephants. This book reviews the different beadwork forms made and the beading... more
Many pieces of Haudenosaunee souvenir beadwork of the 19th and 20th centuries depict various animals, from common ones like cats and dogs to lions and elephants. This book reviews the different beadwork forms made and the beading techniques coupled with a history of the beadworkers and their beadwork traditions.
Research Interests:
Reports a new style type of frit-core bead from a South American context and summarizes the nine types recorded to date. It also discusses modern African copies of one of the types.
Research Interests:
Originally published in 1980, and long out of print, this bibliography is reproduced here as it continues to be a valuable research tool for the archaeologist, material culture researcher, museologist, and serious collector. Although some... more
Originally published in 1980, and long out of print, this bibliography is reproduced here as it continues to be a valuable research tool for the archaeologist, material culture researcher, museologist, and serious collector. Although some of the references are out-of-date, the majority contain information that is still very useful to those seeking comparative archaeological data on trade beads. The bibliography contains 455 annotated entries that deal primarily with glass beads recovered from archaeological contexts in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. A number of works that deal with bead manufacturing techniques, bead classification systems, and other related topics are also included. An index arranged by political unit, temporal range, and other categories adds to the usefulness of the bibliography.
Research Interests:
The authors have spent the six years since A Bibliography of Glass Trade Beads in North America rolled off the presses searching for additional references. We were able to locate many previously elusive reports and searched entire runs of... more
The authors have spent the six years since A Bibliography of Glass Trade Beads in North America rolled off the presses searching for additional references. We were able to locate many previously elusive reports and searched entire runs of a number of relevant periodicals to fill gaps in our initial coverage. In addition, we monitored new publications in historical archaeology and material culture research. The 588 references compiled and annotated here comprise this first supplement to the 1980 bibliography.
Research Interests:
This article corrects the dating of a frit-core bead from Quebec reported in 2018, and reports three new find sites, two in North America and one in Europe. One of the American sites was occupied well past the 1560-1610 date range... more
This article corrects the dating of a frit-core bead from Quebec reported in 2018, and reports three new find sites, two in North America and one in Europe. One of the American sites was occupied well past the 1560-1610 date range proposed for these beads, while the other is situated well to the south of all the others. The third site is in Rouen, France, where two different types were found with wasters from the production of drawn glass beads.
Research Interests:
Material evidence of a drawn glass beadmaking industry during the early part of the 17th century has been recovered from several loci in and around Rouen, France. Housed in the Musée des Antiquités in Rouen, the material is comprised of... more
Material evidence of a drawn glass beadmaking industry during the early part of the 17th century has been recovered from several loci in and around Rouen, France. Housed in the Musée des Antiquités in Rouen, the material is comprised of production tubes and wasters (most of which exhibit evidence of a speo heat rounding), as well as finished beads. It is significant as many of the recorded varieties have correlatives at archaeological sites in eastern North America occupied during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. These include such distinctive types as seven-layer chevrons, a Nueva Cadiz variety, and frit-core beads. It is, therefore, quite possible that some of the American specimens may have originated in northern France and not just Venice or Holland as is commonly believed.
Research Interests:
This article publishes new findings on frit-core beads in North America, including an initial assessment of their chemical composition. Two new find sites have been added to the inventory, bringing the total to 19. In addition, two new... more
This article publishes new findings on frit-core beads in North America, including an initial assessment of their chemical composition. Two new find sites have been added to the inventory, bringing the total to 19. In addition, two new types have been recorded, each with variants. Two beads from contexts later than the date range attributed to this bead category suggest that frit-core beads continued in use, possibly as heirlooms, well into the 17th century.
Research Interests:
Chemical analysis of a unique black bead found in southeastern Turkey that depicts the four phases of the moon reveals it most likely originated in the Fichtelgebirge region of Bavaria at some time prior to the early 19th century.
Research Interests:
During the 17th century, Norton St Philip was a major production center for clay tobacco pipes. As a sideline, they also made such items as wig curlers, gaming pieces, and beads. A previous article discussed six beads recovered from... more
During the 17th century, Norton St Philip was a major production center for clay tobacco pipes. As a sideline, they also made such items as wig curlers, gaming pieces, and beads. A previous article discussed six beads recovered from pipe-making wasters in fields adjoining the village. Here are described an additional five specimens, each with different decoration.
Research Interests:
Faceted rock-crystal beads attributed to ca. 1550-1630 have been found at a number of North American archaeological sites, principally in the southeastern United Sates where they are generally termed Florida Cut-Crystal. Finds further to... more
Faceted rock-crystal beads attributed to ca. 1550-1630 have been found at a number of North American archaeological sites, principally in the southeastern United Sates where they are generally termed Florida Cut-Crystal. Finds further to the north are rare. It was, therefore, of great interest to discover three different examples in the bead collections of two 17th-century Huron-Wendat sites in southern Ontario: Le Caron (BeGx-15) and Warminster (BdGv-1). The beads are investigated using a multidisciplinary approach in an effort to determine how and where they were produced.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Beads and Glass Beads
This paper defines three levels of beadmaking (small-scale, industrial, and mechanized), and discusses how a thorough knowledge of bead manufacturing techniques on a world-wide basis may help to resolve the problem of bead origins.
Research Interests:
Defines four major cane types as well as several subtypes or "hybrids" and describes their manufacture. Fifty-six mosaic cane patterns observed on beads of ancient to modern origin are classified and illustrated.
Research Interests:
Reviews the state of knowledge in 1982 concerning ceramic beads made by the Prosser process.
Research Interests:
Describes the drawn, wound and Prosser-molded beads common to Upper Creek sites in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia during the mid-19th century. Accompanying material provides comparative data from other sites in the Southeast and Plains... more
Describes the drawn, wound and Prosser-molded beads common to Upper Creek sites in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Georgia during the mid-19th century. Accompanying material provides comparative data from other sites in the Southeast and Plains area, as well as background information on the Oklahoma Creeks and their sites.
Research Interests:
Presents a bead sequence for the Southeast based on information derived from 29 area sites. Comparisons are made with beads from sites in the Northeast.
Research Interests:
This report synthesizes the bead data from 11 Euro-American and 8 aboriginal sites in the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia and Maryland.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a brief history of glass bead-making in the Netherlands, followed by a discussion of the importation of Dutch beads into North America, and the physical and chemical attributes of Dutch beads. Chemical profiles for a... more
This paper presents a brief history of glass bead-making in the Netherlands, followed by a discussion of the importation of Dutch beads into North America, and the physical and chemical attributes of Dutch beads. Chemical profiles for a large sample of glass beads from sundry Dutch and North American sites are provided. N.B. Subsequent research has revealed that the wound beads were not produced in Holland, but in Bavaria and southern Bohemia.
Research Interests:
Presents a thorough analysis of the 80 bead varieties excavated at a Dutch West India Company trading establishment. In addition to describing the varieties in tabular form, the report compares the Fort Orange beads to those from 44 other... more
Presents a thorough analysis of the 80 bead varieties excavated at a Dutch West India Company trading establishment. In addition to describing the varieties in tabular form, the report compares the Fort Orange beads to those from 44 other sites in the Netherlands and the American Northeast.
Research Interests:
Summarizes the research conducted on glass trade beads from Susquehannock Indian sites in southeastern Pennsylvania. Two tables present 1) the chronological distribution of the 27 most common bead varieties in the study area, and 2) an... more
Summarizes the research conducted on glass trade beads from Susquehannock Indian sites in southeastern Pennsylvania. Two tables present 1) the chronological distribution of the 27 most common bead varieties in the study area, and 2) an inventory of the 106 drawn and 21 wound bead varieties recovered from 13 area sites occupied during the period 1575-1770.
Research Interests:
This paper is concerned with the glass beads found on sites occupied by the Petun, Huron, and Neutral tribes, three closely related peoples collectively known as the Ontario Iroquois, from ca. 1580 to 1650. Three glass bead periods or... more
This paper is concerned with the glass beads found on sites occupied by the Petun, Huron, and Neutral tribes, three closely related peoples collectively known as the Ontario Iroquois, from ca. 1580 to 1650. Three glass bead periods or horizons are defined. The beads common in or, seemingly characteristic of, each period are described and illustrated. The possibility of Spanish trade beads in southern Ontario is also dealt with.
Research Interests:
Describes the most common bead varieties found at ten Oneida Iroquois sites in the Munnsville-Stockbridge area of New York state during the period 1570-1750.
Research Interests:
Presents a chronological overview of the diagnostic glass beads recovered from 26 Seneca sites in western New York state.
Research Interests:
This article focuses on the elemental analysis of glass material found at the 17th c. glass bead production site at the Hammersmith Embankment in London, UK, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).... more
This article focuses on the elemental analysis of glass material found at the 17th c. glass bead production site at the Hammersmith Embankment in London, UK, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The glass beads manufactured at this site are similar to those found at some North American Native sites. In order to better understand how bead production was organized in Europe and assess the possibility of sourcing glass trade beads found in North America and perhaps Africa, data obtained for the Hammersmith Embankment site are compared to that obtained from the Kg10 site located in Amsterdam, Netherland. This site yielded very similar material also dating from the 17th c. Results, including major, minor and trace elements reveal that the glass at both sites was manufactured according to similar recipes involving soda plant ash purified to different degrees. This recipe was quite likely imported from Venice. Trace elements reveal that sand from different origins was selected. Four different sub-groups were identified in the London samples and three in the Amsterdam samples. This indicates that the glass was not manufactured on site but instead obtained from different primary glass workshops. Although it is possible to distinguish most of the beads from the Hammersmith Embankment from the beads from Kg10, a slight compositional overlap between the sites makes provenance attribution for some types of glass beads difficult.
Research Interests:
From the time of first contact, Canada’s Native people saw ornamental potential in a wide range of European goods. In addition to beads, buttons, and hairpipes, they took mundane objects such as keys, spoon bowls, shoe buckles, coins,... more
From the time of first contact, Canada’s Native people saw ornamental potential in a wide range of European goods. In addition to beads, buttons, and hairpipes, they took mundane objects such as keys, spoon bowls, shoe buckles, coins, cartridge cases, and even ceramic plates and sauce pan handles to create intricate fashion statements. This book describes these adornments in chronological sequence for each of the seven major Indigenous groups of Canada and the northern United States from the 16th century to the early 20th century. The color plates are appended.
Research Interests:
The Jones-Avent bead collection at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta (formerly the Cottonlandia Museum) in Greenwood, Mississippi, contains what is probably the most extensive collection of 16th-century glass beads from Peru in the... more
The Jones-Avent bead collection at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta (formerly the Cottonlandia Museum) in Greenwood, Mississippi, contains what is probably the most extensive collection of 16th-century glass beads from Peru in the United States. The collection is large, both in terms of quantity and variety. Many of the bead types have not been reported by archaeologists, although a few have been seen in private collections and professionally excavated samples of beads in the southeastern United States. The text presents a thorough analysis of 133 glass bead varieties obtained from a number of sites in Peru. Included are drawn (plain round-sectioned; Nueva Cadiz Plain and Twisted; and chevron), wound (plain and ribbed), blown, and crumb beads. Accompanying material discusses the temporal placement of the specimens, relevant bead manufacturing techniques, possible European sources for the beads, the use of trade beads by the Spanish in the Circum-Caribbean area, and North American occurrences of Spanish-type beads.
Research Interests:
This volume contains three studies: The Levin Catalogue of Mid-19th Century Beads; A Sample Book of 19th Century Venetian Beads; and Guide to the Description and Classification of Glass Beads. A greatly expanded version of the Guide was... more
This volume contains three studies: The Levin Catalogue of Mid-19th Century Beads; A Sample Book of 19th Century Venetian Beads; and Guide to the Description and Classification of Glass Beads. A greatly expanded version of the Guide was published in Beads: Journal of the Society of Bead Researchers Vol. 24, pp. 62-90, 2012. The individual Levin catalogue report with color images is available at https://www.academia.edu/27507749/.