Tikchik village: a nineteenth century riverine community in ... - Cluster

VANSTONE: TIKCHIK VILLAGE 327list just given that there are at least a few identifiable Russian tradeitems in the Tikchik collection. Of particular interest in this regardare the beads. An earlier analysis of the Tikchik beads stressed thegeneral nineteenth century character of the assemblage, but very littlewas said about the possible origin of the various forms of beads. Althoughit is undoubtedly true that various shapes, colors, and sizesof beads were traded at specific times, information simply does notexist that would make it possible to present a chronology of beadtypes. In the winter of 1965 I examined a number of Aleut hatsdecorated with beads in the collection of the Academy of SciencesMuseum of Anthropology and Ethnography in Leningrad. Thesehats all dated from the early nineteenth century and had been collectedby Russian explorers. Thus it can be assumed that the beadson them were, for the most part, traded to the Aleuts by Russians,although it should be kept in mind that American and British shipsdid occasionally trade in the area at the time. Virtually all the beadsizes and colors in the Tikchik collection were observed on these hats.Large, translucent, deep marine blue beads were particularly common,but small white and light blue types were also plentiful. Translucentbeads were represented in blue, green, and various shades ofred, and the so-called "Cornaline d'Aleppo" type was also present.Bead-decorated items of nineteenth century material culture fromthe Koryak and Chukchee peoples of Siberia were also examined andagain one would expect that the beads were acquired through Russiansources. Prominent among these beads were small white-linedred types, beads with painted decoration similar to a single specimenfrom Tikchik, large light blue and translucent deep marine bluebeads. These colors and sizes resemble in all respects those beadsrecovered from both the Tikchik and Crow Village sites. It wouldthus seem that any of the beads from Tikchik could be Russian tradeitems. On the other hand, they could all be later, too, since beadshave been sold or traded to the Nushagak area Eskimos right downto the present time. Since some of the bead types from Tikchik arecommon in historic sites from other parts of North America, it isfairly obvious that there is no particular color, size, or style of beadthat can, with confidence, be called Russian. Any bead manufacturedin Europe or the middle east could have been and doubtlesswas obtained by the Russians for their Alaskan trade. It perhapssounds overly pessimistic to say so, but I doubt whether an accuratechronology of bead types applicable to historic sites in Alaska couldever be achieved.