Oldest Bead Found in the Americas Unearthed by Archaeologists

February 12, 2024

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by University of Wyoming.

Professor Todd Surovell from the University of Wyoming, along with his archaeological team, have made an interesting discovery - a cylindrical bead that is approximately 12,940 years old, made from bone. This bead, found at the La Prele Mammoth site in Converse County, now holds the title of the oldest bead discovered in the Americas.

The results of Surovell's research have been published in a paper titled 'Use of hare bone for the manufacture of a Clovis bead' in the journal, Scientific Reports. Other members of the research team include individuals from UW, the Office of the Wyoming State Archaeologist, the University of Manchester, Weber State University, and Chico State University.

The La Prele Mammoth site where the bead was found is also home to the preserved remains of a slaughtered or scavenged sub-adult Columbian mammoth, including a camp that was likely occupied while butchering the animal.

To identify the bone used to create the bead, the team used a technique called ZooMS (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry), which allowed them to examine the chemical makeup of the bone. By examining things like collagen,

they concluded the bead was made from either a metapodial (bones connecting the digits to the body's limb bones) or a proximal phalanx (human finger/toe bones) of a hare.

This is actually the first confirmed instance of hare bone use during the Clovis period. This prehistoric era in North America, particularly noteworthy about 12,000 years ago, is named after the Clovis archaeological site in New Mexico where distinctive stone tools were found.

The bead is approximately 7 millimeters long with a mean internal diameter of 1.6 millimeters. There was a consideration that the bead could be a result of carnivore digestion, but there were few carnivore traces on the site and the artifact was found amidst a scattering of other cultural materials.

The external grooves on the bead seem to suggest a human-crafted origin, possibly using rocks or teeth. Beads like this one were often used for aesthetic purposes, like for decorating the body or clothing.

Professor Surovell, who also serves as the director of UW's Frison Institute, is an expert in the Paleoindian period, the earliest era in American archaeology. His work mostly involves the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, but he also has some professional experience in Eurasia. He is particularly interested in the factors shaping the archaeological record, including decision-making processes and site formation.

Source: University of Wyoming