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Barnegat Bay History
Wampum
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Wampum is a
small and short tubular
shell bead. The beads
were strung into strings
or woven into belts.
Wampum are traditional,
sacred shell beads of
Eastern Woodlands tribes.
The word
"Wampum" comes from the
Narragansett word (short
for wampumpeag) meaning
'white shell beads'.
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Before contact
with European settlers,
Wampum was primarily
used for ceremonial
purposes or for gift
exchanges, (Prehistoric
Wampum) hence, this was
not "Indian Money".
These shell
beads were larger and
relatively uncommon
because drilling the
material was difficult
with stone drill bits.
Shell beads were
either disk shaped, or
barrel shaped, usually
made from the whelk's
spiraling inner whorl (columella.)
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In the early
17th century wampum came to be used as
money in trade.
The early Dutch
settlers recognized the
value of the beads to
the natives. They
introduced contemporary
technology into its
production and
manufactured Wampum
themselves.
The exchange of
Wampum became an
important part of
diplomatic protocol
whenever Indians and
whites concluded a
treaty or assembled for
other councils.
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Wampum beads are
made in two colors:
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White ("Wòmpi")
beads ("Wompam")
were made from the inner
whorl
of the Whelk shell
("Meteaûhock")
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Purple-black ("Súki")
beads ("Suckáuhock")
from the growth rings of
the Northern Quahog
(Hard Clam) shell
("Suckauanaûsuck").
The quahog shell
used to produce purple
wampum and other shell
pendants is exclusively
the species with the
Latin name mercenaria
mercenaria. |
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Fun Facts
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The Latin name
Mercenaria mercenaria
is derived from a word
that means wages.
(merces mercedis
: pay, reward,
recompense,
compensation) |
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The name
"quahog" comes from the
Indian name "poquauhock,"
meaning horse fish |
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Delaware River
The Europeans first
named the river in honor
of Sir Thomas West, Lord
de la Warr and governor
of Virginia (not after
the Native American
tribe) |
Wampum Images
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The picture to
the left shows Purple-black ("Súki")
beads and the shell of a
quahog with some purple
on the inside of the
shell.
Also pictured
are White ("Wòmpi")
beads and a partial
shell of a whelk and an
inner whorl of a whelk
<click
here> to see the
larger image |
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This image shows
quahog shells and loose
beads along with
necklaces and belts
<click
here> to see the
larger image |
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