Pat, 

In a nutshell: 

Technically, seed beads refer to the small, drawn, embroidery beads that
have diameters of less than 2 mm, although beads with diameters larger
than that were certainly used for beadwork.  Small drawn beads in
general are present for much of the historic period, although the very
small beads we think of as seed beads tend to appear in huge numbers,
and a wider range of colors, during the nineteenth century.  

I've included a quick list of bead references that are some of the most
helpful--they'll have manufacturing information and will have some
chronological info as well.  Even though the Ross publications deal with
sites that postdate your site, they'll still include good information
for you on drawn bead varieties.

Also, if you'd like to send me some images of the beads you have, I'd be
happy to take a look.  Are there other bead varieties in the assemblage
as well?

Laurie Burgess


Karklins, Karlis, and Carol F. Adams

1990	Dominique Bussolin on the Glass-Bead Industry of Murano and
Venice (1847). Beads 2:69-84.

Karklins, Karlis

1985	Glass Beads: The Levin Catalogue of Mid-19th Century Beads, A
Sample Book of 19th Century Venetian Beads, Guide to the Description and
Classification of Glass Beads. Studies in Archaeology, Architecture, and
History. Ottawa: National Historic Parks and Sites Branch, Parks Canada.

Ross, Lester, 

1990	Trade Beads from Hudson's Bay Company Fort Vancouver
(1829-1860), Vancouver, Washington. Beads 2:29-67.

2000	Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading
Post National Historic Site. Lincoln, NE: National Park Service, Midwest
Archeological Center and Williston, ND: Fort Union Associations.
(Available on cd from NPS)

Sprague, Roderick

1985	Glass Trade Beads: A Progress Report. Historical Archaeology
19(2):87-105.


Laurie E. Burgess
Associate Chair
Department of Anthropology
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
P.O. Box 37012
10th and Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20013-7012