shell bead
Drilled mollusk piece
A shell bead is a small decorative object made from mollusk shell, pierced for stringing.
Shell beads appear in jewelry across cultures and throughout human history—some of the oldest known ornaments are shell beads tens of thousands of years old.
They served as currency in various societies, most notably wampum among Native American peoples of the Eastern Woodlands.
- wampumIndigenous American bead currency
- trading postRemote commerce station
- cowrieGlossy marine gastropod shell
- necklaceNeck-worn ornament
- strandThin fiber piece
currency · trade · gift exchange · ornament · pierced · strung · nacre · abalone · conch · ocean · iridescent · adornment · tribal · ceremonial · burial goods · drilled · polished · ancient