Here in Pa we find the same items on our Monongahela sites which are related to the Ft Ancient focus. The marginella bead is especially interesting as it ties all of the sites together considering their origin which I am told is the Gulf of Mexico making them a salt water shell, occasionally we find beads made from the whelk which is a much larger shell that had to be processed by grinding down the outside until the tubular core was exposed and drilling it, a time consuming process. There are many other shells in the Gulf which could have served the same purpose but the marginella shows up in the many thousands over hundreds of years of occupation on countless sites up the Mississippi drainage. Did this shell have special significance which we do not know or was it just an easily made decoration that could be transported long distances in great quantities? Any thoughts?
Does anyone know the farthest extent of their travels...Canada maybe?
Has anyone found any pendants made from fresh water pearls, they had to run into them from their mussel food source. Opinions appreciated.
