In the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, an archaeology student stumbled upon seven rare 17th-century beads hidden in layers of old waste. The discovery is the first of its kind in the region and opens new chapters in the history of relations between Indigenous peoples and European settlers.
At an excavation site in the Avalon Colony, archaeology student Callum Brydon made an unexpected discovery: he found seven tiny cylindrical beads known as wampum. These white and lilac-colored 17th-century artifacts were tucked away in a layer of old garbage and mark the first such find in the region, as reported in Live Science.
Wampum—a term European settlers used for strings of white shell beads made from marine mollusk shells—held sacred significance for the Indigenous peoples of North America. They were used in ceremonies, to ratify agreements, and as symbols of peace. Later, wampum also served as a form of currency in trade between Indigenous groups and European colonists.
Archaeologist and Memorial University of Newfoundland professor Barry Gaulton noted that in more than thirty years of excavations at the Avalon Colony, no similar finds had been made. The style and method of material processing allow the beads to be dated to approximately 1600. Scientists believe they could have arrived in Ferryland in the mid-17th century, a period of active trade contact between local peoples and British settlers.
The Avalon Colony was founded in 1621 and became one of the first European territories in North America. Despite the harsh climate and conflicts with the local population, it quickly grew into an important center for fishing and trade.
Today, Avalon continues to surprise archaeologists. Decades of research have uncovered tens of thousands of artifacts here—from fragments of pottery and glass tableware to muskets, jewelry, and remnants of old streets. However, the discovery of the wampum is a true sensation, shedding new light on the cultural and trade links of the 17th century between Indigenous peoples and the first Europeans.
