Oldest known giant rock scallop bead suggests California coastal trade began millennia earlier

Giant Rock Scallop Beads from California Studied - Archaeology Magazine

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA—Phys.org reports that two beads made from giant rock scallops have been unearthed at the Turkey Flats and Lichtenstein sites, both located far from the Santa Barbara Channel where giant rock scallops usually live. The creatures live below the tide line, making them difficult to reach, and have thick, hard shells, making them difficult to shape into beads. Researchers suggest these factors made the beads rare and a sig…

Oldest known giant rock scallop bead suggests California coastal trade began millennia earlier