Comparisons and Connections between Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Glass Bead Assemblages in Paugvik, AK, and Beatty Curve, OR

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Recent Research on Glass Beads and Ornaments in North America" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper considers two collections of glass beads excavated from residential contexts in Paugvik, Alaska (nineteenth century CE) and Beatty Curve, Oregon (nineteenth–twentieth centuries CE), and housed in the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Using LA-ICP-MS analysis, around 30 beads from each site were analyzed to determine the glass recipes and potential regions from which they were manufactured. Similarities in the compositions of beads from these sites have allowed us to consider possible trade connections and interactions between these communities. The locations of the assemblages within the sites themselves, particularly in Paugvik, can also contribute to determining when certain structures within the site were used and activities within the structures. In addition to compositional analysis, we will also discuss the glass bead typology from the entire assemblages and note similarities between Paugvik and Beatty Curve. Our results highlight trade connections, likely facilitated by Europeans, and that these trading relationships had an influence on the structure and management of these sites themselves. We will discuss further the importance of these conclusions.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Research on Glass Beads and Ornaments in North America   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36276.0