The Value of Wampum among the New York Iroquois: A Case Study in Artifact Analysis in Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 38, Number 1 by Lynn Ceci (1931-1989) - 1982

97-107 pages with cited references. Royal octavo (9 1/4" x 6") bound in original publisher's wrappers. Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 38, Number 1 complete issue. First edition. The archeological and documentary evidence for wampum permits the reconstruction of an economic system linking three early historic cultures in the Northeast: Algonquian, colonial, and Iroquois. While the roles of the first two cultures can be outlined, the basis for Iroquois participation, i.e., their desire for wampum, is incompletely understood. Using sources from archeology, history, ethnohistory, ethnography, economics, and anthropological theory, ten cultural factors are presented which explain the high esteem given wampum by the Iroquois. The last and most complex argument ties mythological accounts of wampum's origins to social, economic, political, and ideational process, that is, to the evolution of the Iroquois League. The study represents a multidisciplinary approach to artifact analysis, and is a case study of the role of shell beads in culture change. Condition: Spine sunned, light edge wear else very good.