貝殼串珠

貝殼串珠（Wampum）是北美洲东部林地印第安人所使用的一種類似貨幣的物件。“Wampum”一詞本意就是“白色貝殼珠子”，由沟螺的殼軸製成Dubin, Lois Sherr. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to the Present. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999: 170-171. ISBN 0-8109-3689-5.。而類似的“Sewant”、“Zeewant”或“suckauhock”則是由蚌蠣或其他牡蠣的殼製成的Jaap Jacobs. The Colony of New Netherland: A Dutch Settlement in Seventeenth-century America. Cornell University Press, 2009. pg. 14。

歷史
“Wampum”一詞為“wampumpeag”的縮寫，源自馬薩諸塞語或纳拉干西特語，意思是“白色貝殼珠子”。16世紀初，殖民者在今紐約州附近的地區發現了這種東西。傳説中，易洛魁联盟的创建者海華沙是貝殼串珠的創造者，起初是用它來記錄信息Gawyehnehshehgowa: Great Law of Peace.  Degiya'göh Resources. (retrieved 14 March 2009)。

歐洲人抵達北美後開始大規模製造貝殼串珠，結果導致通貨膨脹。Otto, Paul   "Henry Hudson, the Munsees, and the Wampum Revolution" (retrieved 5 September 2011)

參考文獻

外部連接

Wampum article, Iroquois Indian Museum
Wampum History and Background 
"The Tribes And The States: 100,000-Year History of North America" 
X-ray showing inner spiral and entire shell of the Busycotypus Canaliculatus - Channeled Whelk Shell , Europa
"Money Substitutes in New Netherland and Early New York" , Coins, University of North Dakota

Category:古代貨幣
Category:美洲原住民文化