Cylindrical beads ground from sea shells of white and purple, woven into articles of personal adornment and also used as money by American Indians of the northeastern woodlands.
Wampum was also used for sealing treaties and as a means of recording important events. Broad belts or collars were formed of strings of wampum arranged in patterns, sometimes representing pictographs, according to the story to be recorded.
© RM 2012. Helicon Publishing is division of RM.