A Precolumbian Presence of Venetian Glass Trade Beads in Arctic Alaska
Excavation at three Late Prehistoric Eskimo sites in arctic Alaska has
revealed the presence of Venetian glass trade beads in radiocarbon-dated
contexts that predate Columbus's discovery of the Western Hemisphere.
The bead variety, commonly known as “Early Blue” and “Ichtucknee Plain,”
has been confirmed by expert examination and comparative Instrumental
Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). The beads are present in sites
throughout the Caribbean, the eastern coast of Central and North
America, and the eastern Great Lakes region, where they are commonly
found in sites dating between approximately AD 1550 and 1750, although a
diminishing presence continues into the early 1800s. Beads of this
variety have not previously been reported from Alaska. Ascribed to
Venetian production by their precolumbian age, the beads challenge the
currently accepted chronology for the development of their production
methodology, availability, and presence in the Americas. In the absence
of trans-Atlantic communication, the most likely route these beads
traveled from Europe to northwestern Alaska is across Eurasia and over
the Bering Strait. This is the first documented instance of the presence
of indubitable European materials in prehistoric sites in the Western
Hemisphere as the result of overland transport across the Eurasian
continent.
