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Photograph provided by Dr. Robert E. Bell

Figure 98: Beads - various types

Various types of beads made of shell, stone, pearl, and pearl nuggets. On the left is a classic Spiro strand of small shell disc and barrel beads. (Also called cylindrical, oval or tubular.) It has a large spherical columella bead at the top. Parallel to this strand is a small string of pearl beads, # 782. Strand # 783, at the top right, is a small string with three large spherical columella beads, two long tubular columella beads, and a smaller elongated oval (convex-cylindrical) bead. Below # 783 and to the right of strand # 782, is a small group of seven “bottle-shaped” or compound cylindrical beads. This form has a spherical to cylindrical central portion capped on either end with a disc-shaped portion, so it looks like a bottle with lips on both ends. To the right of this are four ovate-cylindrical beads. In the third row down in the center are six middle-sized cylindrical beads (Brown (1996) calls them convexo-cylindrical). To the right of them are six large thick flat disc beads. Fourth row down to the right of the pearl beads are two strands of stone beads, the first being oval to tubular-shaped and the second being disc-shaped. To the right of them is a group of six barrel-shaped beads. At the far right are six “fingerbone” or “hourglass” beads. Brown (1996) calls them concavo-cylindrical. I prefer the term fingerbone since they appear to be simulating beads made from actual fingerbones, examples of which are known to exist. At the bottom is a pearl nugget bead that has been drilled. There are different names used for these various styles of beads. There are also variations of these basic styles. I am not an expert and, therefore, have tried to use names based on what I have heard them called. Brown (1996), page 578 and Hamilton (1952), Plate 66 and Page 50 show examples of different types and names.