Paper 2
Dating the Chickasaw Beads

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Glass Bead Database

Glass Bead Sequence
A Beginning

Major Bead Types/Varieties
Glass Bead Chronology - Start/Finish

Glass Bead Sequence
Major Bead Fields

Glass Bead Sequence
Minor Bead Fields

Glass Bead Sequence
Major & Minor Glass Bead Fields

Glass Bead Chronology
An End, A Beginning

Glass Bead Chronology
Dating

Other Artifacts - Dating

Beads as Heirlooms

Bead Dating Conclusions

Other Factors
Appreciation

Paper 2 Figures

Paper 2 Tables

Paper 2 References

Glass Bead Chronology - Dating

The intent of this paper is to offer the earliest bead dates for the Chickasaw trade. To that end, the ’start of trade’ date of 1685 was selected and the 1795 date for the start of the WIB Wrap/IF/IIIF trade were defined. For the ’start of trade’ the major bead IIA1/IVA1 is selected to represent 1685. This bead offers a significant increase in feature numbers 69 when compared to the earlier major beads IVA2 22 features and IIA7/IVA7 36 features.

For dating, the % association between each major bead in the sequence on Table 4 beginning with IIA1/IVA1 and following with IIB/IVB (note that IIA/IVA Other on Table 4 is a temporal equal to IIA1/IVA1), WIIA, WIC, WIA VL/XL, WID, IA/IIIA Opaque and WIA M and concluding with the minor beads WIB Wrap and IF/IIIF was determined. As an example, IIA1/IVA1 "w/o Exclusives" is associated 65% to IIB/IVB, see Figure 7, and IIB/IVB "w/o Exclusives" is associated 70% to WIIA. For the calculations the difference in the association for each major bead less 100% was recorded, i.e. for IIA1/IVA1 35 was recorded. These 100% association differences were added from one major bead to the next (in the sequence) and totaled.. That total and the cumulative 100% association difference for each major bead was multiplied by the number of years separating 1685 and 1795 (110) and the result of the ratio to each major bead beginning with IIB/IVB. The resultant ratio was added to 1685. The process was repeated for "w/o Single" associations for the string of major beads. Note that the major glass bead sequence as opposed to the shell/silver sequence was used to date the major beads. The proximity of the major beads (features) one to another provided higher confidence and better feature distribution when compared to shell and silver.

Table 5 reflects the dates calculated for each major glass bead.

Table 5 The Major Bead Dates

As shown on Table 5 the dates calculated using the "w/o Exclusive" and "w/o Singles" graphs for each major bead differ marginally.

The dates of IVA2 and IIA7/IVA7 were determined using the same method as above with a different assumption. Because these beads occurred in a relatively high number of features, it may be assumed that the Chickasaw or a tribal trading agent was acquiring these beads from an established source - Charleston on a less than sustained basis. Given its founding in 1670, a trade reaching the Chickasaws from an industrious planter or his agent could have started as early as 1675. Assuming that date for the beginning of trade of IVA2, then IIA7/IVA7 trade dates can be determined using the IIA1/IVA1 'start of trade' date of 1685, as before.

There are many dated English and French trade good lists which mention glass beads, rarely specific. Therefore, contemporary descriptions are rare. Regis du Roullet in November 1729 (Dunbar and Sanders I 53) provides a memorandum of the English goods traded to the Chickasaw. Two entries were transcribed, "White, blue, yellow and agate beads, very large. Small ones of the same colors…" Perhaps the entries address WIC and WIA VL/XL for which dates of trade start for these beads compliment the description.

The author recognizes that these bead dates serve as an estimate and that time will prove or not the accuracy of the assumptions used and results presented.