Bit by bit: Olivella bead production during the Middle Period on Santa Cruz Island

Summary

Beads made from the Olivella biplicata shell were used as both decoration and a form of currency by the Chumash living in the Santa Barbara Channel region, and large quantities have been recovered from many prehistoric sites throughout Western North America. Many of the bead types were made from different portions of the shell and conform to standardized shapes and sizes. A number of these types have distinctive spatial and temporal distributions in the archaeological record, and based on quantities and associations, present an opportunity to understand wealth, status, and regional exchange patterns. Despite extensive research into shell bead production and exchange during the Late Period, less attention has been given to the role of Olivella bead manufacturing during earlier times. This study assesses bead production evidence, including shell detritus, drills, and other tools to better understand the methods and intensity of Olivella bead manufacturing during the Middle Period. By applying a bead detritus typology to the production remains at several Middle Period sites on Santa Cruz Island along with supporting experimental studies, I seek to quantify the intensity of bead production occurring at this time, and compare these findings to studies of Late Period bead manufacturing sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage