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Paper 2
Dating the Chickasaw Beads
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Glass Trade Beads
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Database Fields: Artifacts
Database Fields: Glass Beads
Glass Bead Descriptions
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
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There are non-glass bead records within the database that may provide a first impression of the Chickasaw glass bead sequence - shell and silver. Recall earlier that three shell categories-beads, discs and pins were presented. For the moment, the three shell categories will be combined, assuming (incorrectly) that they have equal dates. The individual graphs for these shell artifacts will be shown later.
When silver ornaments were discussed earlier, it was noted that Canadian silversmiths dating to the 1770s and 1780 hallmarked most of the silver ornaments. For the moment, like shell, the silver features will be combined for graphing.
Figures 3 and 4 provide graphs of shell and silver associations, respectively, with the glass bead fields on a feature basis. Note that these graphs indicate all glass bead feature occurrences, including exclusives and singles.
Figure 3 Shell/Glass Bead Feature Associations
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Figure 4 Silver/Glass Bead Feature Associations
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Note for Figures 3 and 4 the shell, silver, artifacts and glass bead types/varieties have been situated on the graphs in an order of association. The order for the glass beads, shell and silver is generally based on their association with shell and silver,i.e. the number of shell and silver features were sorted and their association to the glass beads in the sorted features determined.
As noted on each of the respective graphs, there are 26 shell- bead, disc and/or pin features in the database. Since 26 shell features represents 100% of the shell features, the glass bead type/varieties represent a lesser (or potentially equal) percentage of association to shell. Note on Figure 3 that shell is 100% associated with shell. It is interesting to note that shell and silver are mutually exclusive on Figures 3 and 4. Shell is positioned on the figures near the left side of the sequence while silver resides on the right. In Figures 3 and 4, a shell/silver temporal sequence has been established, with the left side of the x-axis representing the earliest time (perhaps the last half of the seventeenth century) in the sequence and the right side, the latter (perhaps 1800). This shell/silver sequence is formative and will be tested herein by the relationships of the glass beads one to the other.
It must be said that the shell/silver sequence is most accurate for sequencing the glass beads when the glass bead (or artifact) occurs in a high number of features. Realizing that, the artifacts and glass bead type/varieties that occur in a low number of shell/silver associations (those graphically distant from shell or silver) may not be properly sequenced. Figures 3 and 4 do speak to a rough sequence which must be tested by the associations of the glass beads to themselves, which will be done later.
Even with these admissions, shell demonstrates the highest affinity for IIAI/IVA1, IIA/IVA Other and IIB/IVB. Silver for its part shows the highest associations with WID, IA/IIIA Opaque and WIA M.
Comparing the figures again, it may be said that the glass beads associated with shell demonstrate a very low association, if any, to silver, and vice-versa. Of interest, is IIA1/IVA1 on Figure 4 and its association to silver, although low. Perhaps IIA1/IVA1 serves as an heirloom - more on this later.
It cannot be overstated that the sequence shown on Figures 3 and 4 is formative. The sequence will be evaluated using the associations of the major bead type/varieties.
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