BEAD ORNAMENTS, EMPLOYED BY THE ANCIENT TRIBES OF 

 UTAH AND ARIZONA, 



By E. a. Barber. 



Among the adornments of all aboriginal tribes of men are found many- 

 varieties of beads, which have been cut or ground from wood, bone, horn, 

 stone, or shells. Those made of various species of the latter predomi- 

 nate, the marine shells, such as the Busycon, Marginella, Oliva, Fasciola- 

 ria and many other genera, being the most common. The prehistoric 

 people of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado employed in their 

 personal decoration at least two genera, of which were discovered by 

 the Photographic Division of the IJnited States Geological Survey, sev- 

 eral species. 



All the bead ornaments found in this secton of the great West may 

 be classed under four heads : 

 I. Shells. 

 II. Earthen-ware beads. 



III. Turquoises. 



IV. Pendants: 



a. Of stone. 



1). Of pottery. 

 The marine shells which were converted into beads by this ancient 

 tribe, so far as has been proved by the investigations of the Survey dur- 

 ing the summer of 1875, were the Oliva and, probably, the Busycon or 

 Murex. Of the former genus, we were so fortunate as to discover at 

 least one species. One specimen represents the Oliva hi-iMcata {proh- 

 ahly), although the shell is so weather-worn that most of the spe- 

 cific characteristics are almost entirely obliterated. Still it resembles 

 this species of the Pacific coast strongly, and is very likely the same. 

 This was not so common as the larger variety, which is possibly a 

 more fully developed representative of the same species. Tlae first 

 samples of these shell-beads were taken from the site of an old ruin 

 where they had been lying for centuries, until decomposition had 

 left nothing but small fragments of either extremity. Through eastern 

 Utah, and south, into Arizona, many Olivas were found scattered 

 through the debris of crumbling walls and broken pottery. The perfo- 

 ration has been effected by grinding down the spire, so that a thong 

 would pass through the shell lengthwise. Of the genus Busycon, or 

 Murex, was found but one doubtful representative. The beads made 

 from this were of two sizes and usually white. The smaller variety was 

 ilat on both sides, or slightly convex on one side and concave on the 

 other, as thin as a wafer, and the circumference of an ordinary 

 pea. In the centre a neatly bored hole enabled the owner to string 

 the beads together in the form of a necklace. The larger variety was 



