✅ SOLVED Indian Bead?

[ajaj]

Hello. Back during the 1970s, my Mom would frequently scour the rocky shores of northern Lake Champlain for fossils. She found this item and had it in her box of fossils I found found recently. It is 1 inch in length and hollow. Any help with ID is appreciated.

 

[Red-Coat]

It appears to be a Scaphopod mollusc shell, although not necessarily this exact species:

Scaphopods are also known as tooth or tusk shells because some types resemble miniature elephant tusks. They’re exclusively marine so, if that was found in a freshwater lake, it will likely be fossilised.

 

[ajaj]

Oh neat! Thanks.

 

[BAW]

These are also known as tusk shells or dentalium. They were favorite trade items among American Indians during the nineteenth century and were sent as far inland as the Great Plains. If you do an image search for “dentalium” you will find many pictures of Indian artifacts made of dentalium shells.