Preview
Description
Beads & pendants both could be made from nearly any material that was innately durable, but material like bone or shell that has an innate luster and/or the ability to take on a polish was especially prized. These items could also be made from somewhat less common materials like animal teeth: for instance, beads made from the teeth of predatory animals like wolves or bears have been found at various Mississippian sites. Non-predatory animal teeth with clear signs of being worn as personal adornment items are also sometimes uncovered at prehistoric sites. For example, this opossum tooth found right here at the site of Chucalissa has been both polished and drilled through at the root end, which would allow it to be strung on a cord and worn as a pendant.
Recommended Citation
Museum, Chucalissa, "Opossum Tooth Bead" (2022). Artifacts. 102.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/chnash-museum-chucalissa-gallery2/102
Keywords
Jewelry; Beads; Bone Beads; Opossum Tooth
