ABSTRACT The prehistoric peoples living along the Georgia coast fabricated and used shell beads for millennia. Out of a number of mollusk species inhabiting the region, only a few were selected for the fabrication of beads. The knobbed whelk (Busycon carica) was the most common species used, and it represents the most common whelk found in Atlantic coastal waters. The lightning whelk (Busycon sinistrum), the second most common whelk in the region, was occasionally used in the production of beads. Small numbers of beads were made from marginella and olive shells and, rarely, from bivalve species. Small beads were manufactured from the body whorl of whelks, while larger beads were fabricated from whelk collumella. Shell beads appear in small quantities in Late Archaic period contexts, and then almost disappear during the Woodland period. Beads reappear in quantities at about AD 800 in the Early Mississippian period. More shell beads have been recovered from Mississippian period archaeological contexts along the northern Georgia coast than along the southern coast, reflective of cultural differences between these two geographic areas in the post-Woodland period era.

中文翻译：

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乔治亚州海岸的史前贝壳珠

摘要 数千年来，居住在乔治亚州海岸的史前民族制造和使用贝壳珠。在该地区栖息的许多软体动物物种中，只有少数物种被选中用于制造珠子。多节海螺（Busycon carica）是最常用的物种，它代表了大西洋沿岸水域中最常见的海螺。闪电海螺（Busycon sinistrum）是该地区第二常见的海螺，偶尔用于生产珠子。少量珠子是由边缘藻和橄榄壳制成的，很少由双壳类动物制成。小珠子是由海螺的体轮制成的，而较大的珠子是由海螺柱头制成的。贝壳珠在晚古时期少量出现，然后在林地时期几乎消失。大约在公元 800 年密西西比早期，珠子大量重新出现。从密西西比时期考古环境中沿乔治亚州北部海岸发现的贝壳珠多于南部海岸，这反映了后林地时期这两个地理区域之间的文化差异。