Crinoid Necklace

[OneOneNiner]

Here's my collection of necklace beads(ones w/h holes).
Some of these date back to when I was 9 or 10 yrs old.
I mostly find bigger beads today because I hunt wood from a crouching stance, as opposed to kneeling for them like I use to.
There's an old saying Cousin Buzz use to use: "You gotta get on your knees for beads."
The necklace has 196 beads.

Anyone else out there with a necklace? Post up.

Also, some call these Indian beads. Did the Indians really make necklaces out of these, or is it just a slang name?

[tomclark]

Only one I've ever found. Shell. In the wall from a bulldozer that took out a midden at a seaside village site. Million(s) dollar homes now. They came out like Necco candies.

[OneOneNiner]

That is simply amazing Tom!!! Find of a lifetime.
The consistent size of the beads on the necklace tells me that was a master crinoid hunter, and there were many more where that came from.

So I guess it's official, they were "Indian Beads".

Thanks for your post.

[Steve Valentine]

If the Crinoids came from a know Indian site then they very well could actually be Beads. I have found a few on the Ft Ancient sites I hunt that show obvious polish on them which means they were probably worn as Beads. But then again, Crinoids do get a hole through them naturally by erosion. I have a found a bunch of them at a spot where I hunt fossils that doesn't have any artifacts on it and some of them have the hole from the centers eroding out and weren't actually Beads.

Here are some Shell and Bone Necklaces that I have.

[OneOneNiner]

That is some collection to be proud of.
Thanks for sharing the pics. They're very informative and helpful.

[DesertWalker]

Love this stuff! You guys and your beads drive me Krazy!