Beads: A Tether to Home

Analyzing beads within an archaeological context follows a systematic methodology that aims to contextualize some of archaeology's smallest artifacts. This methodology standardizes the process in an attempt to create a consistent platform for cross-comparison to other collections. The process of analysis begins with sorting beads into categories based on their material type. There are a variety of common materials including glass, clay, shell, bone, and wood. At Fairfield, we find an abundance of glass beads compared to other bead types. After sorting the bead by the material, we can begin looking at the secondary characteristics including the manufacturing method, structure, and physical characteristics. These small artifacts tell us a lot about the interactions between different cultural groups spanning Europe, North America, and Africa.

Beads have been used for millennia across the world as a medium to express personal and cultural identity. Following the arrival of enslaved individuals in British America, they were typically stripped of their clothing. Jewelry of desirable materials was usually removed from the individuals, but beads and beaded adornments were sometimes retained. In these instances, these beads were the only items connecting individuals to far-away homelands most would never see again.

Centuries before the arrival of Europeans in Africa, beads were already actively being imported from across the Indian Ocean in exchange for highly valuable materials such as gold, tobacco, and ivory. These beads were highly valued in many cultural traditions ranging from indicating stages of life, social status, connectivity to the global trade systems, power, and much more. The contextual meaning of each bead included in this collection is not specified as the individual cultural information cannot be extrapolated from the bead alone. While beads have been found in many different contexts at Fairfield, and are known generally to have been utilized by Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans, the beads shown here were found in a working and domestic space that was predominantly occupied by enslaved Africans from the late 17th through the mid-19th century, and in particular from subfloor pit features that date to the 18th century. More analysis can be done about the types of beads, their ages, and origins, but this collection of beads indicates the diverse array of beads found on site, and consequently, hints at the diverse individuals and cultural traditions represented by those that were enslaved at Fairfield Plantation.

*This is not the full collection of beads found at Fairfield Plantation within the context of enslavement*

The bead overview and class identifications provided have been largely informed by Karlis Karklins' journal article Guide to the Description and Classification of Glass Beads Found in the Americas (2012)