Wampum

Wampum ( Massachusett and Narragansett wampumpe, wanpanpi, majority wampumpeag, wanpanpiak "White [ Pearl ] chain " of wa ( m ) p 'white' OMPs " chain " majority -ag/-ak ) is in the Eastern Algonquian languages ​​the name for pearls from sea snails and clams, as east of the Rocky Mountains have been widely used to going up to Saskatchewan as a medium of exchange by the Indians, and so also to the tribes west of the Rocky Mountains came. Here they served but only as a piece of jewelery. But even in the East, they always kept next to the cash -like characteristics of individually valuable, or even sacred. So underlined the presentation of a Wampums promises, contracts or marriages.

The wampum colors varying from white to purple to brownish black. The white copies were usually made ​​from 12 to 15 cm long conch Venus Buccinum, the darker from the case of Venus mercenaria. They are lined up on animal tendons or cords, which were then wrapped in a hand- wide mesh, the so-called belt of wampum.

Belt of wampum with a particular pattern, which belong to the so-called article writing, served messaging and have been for the tradition of important events (such as peace treaties of friendship or alliances ) are mutually interchangeable.

Wampum was made ​​by the Indians of Long Island, coastal Connecticut and Rhode Island, in particular Shinnecock, Pequot and Narragansett, while one did not found snail shells north of Cape Cod in larger quantities. These beads came northeastward along the trade route up to Nova Scotia, its value grew more than proportional to the distance from the production site.

The Wampumhandel seems to have already existed in the time before European contact. To 1606, the production and distribution of beads by Marc Lescarbot has been observed that this also has well described. Before there were metal tools, the shells were ground on stone disks in the correct shape and pierced with stone drills. Soon after contact with Europeans Indians used the iron drill and began to produce larger quantities of this item for trade with the Dutch and the English, who in turn used it as barter or cash against skins in the inland and the northern Indians. Tools, production residues and semi-finished beads were found in amounts of sites of Corchaug, Mohegan and Narragansett from the 17th century. Wampum was a real exchange item and was probably an important means to integrate the Indians south of New England in the European monetary economy.