Trade for a silent prayer.

Water has always been precious to the Ancestral Pueblo people, and it is still precious to their descendants today. As dry farmers in an arid region, prayers for moisture and rains have been passed down for thousands of years and often incorporate items that were acquired from faraway places associated with water.

In this episode of Season 3, we hear from Lyle Balenquah Hopi archaeologist, and Jonathan Till, Curator of Collections at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum located in Blanding, Utah.

We also hear again from Bridget Ambler, Supervisory Curator for Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum about the trade relationships across what is currently known as Montezuma Valley.

“Seashells represent moisture coming from some great body of water, coming to replenish our land. It’s like a silent prayer advocating that moisture come to this dry area.”

— Lyle Balenquah, Hopi Tribe, Archaeologist

Mesa Verde Voices · Season 3 Episode 4: Trade Of Color... Shells

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Shell Bangles and Beads

These glycymeris shell bangles and various shell beads can be found on display at Canyons of the Ancient National Monument Visitor Center and Museum just north of Mesa Verde National Park.

On the far left, you’ll notice glycymeris shell bangles still containing the dirt and sediment in which they were found during excavation. Leaving the bangles in this sediment helps to preserve their shape and structural integrity.

Beetle Leg Necklace

The beetle leg necklace at the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah is made from the legs of an insect not indigenous to the area in which it was found, and features a single abalone (or Mother-of-Pearl) pendant.

Beetle Leg Necklace

Shell Beads

These shell beads are on display at the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah. Pictured here are Olivella shells, small conical-shaped shells which come from the California coast.

Glycimeris Shells

These glycymeris shell bangles were once large, bittersweet clams likely living in the Baja California or California coast regions. They would have been traded to the Hohokam people in southern Arizona, where they were fashioned into bangles, and then traded farther up into the Four Corners.

These objects are seen here on display at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum.

Various Shell Jewelry Pieces

Also pictured: composite shell and turquoise objects and a shell bead.

These objects are seen here on display at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum.

Looking for more?

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

See Ancient and Modern Shell Jewelry on Exhibit

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum [Blanding, Utah]

Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum [Cortez, Colorado]

Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center

Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum [Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado]

American Museum of Natural History [New York City, New York]

NOTE: Some of these museums and exhibits may be temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

Edge of the cedars great house and the abajo mountains (photo: kayla woodward)

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

Edge of the Cedars State Park is located in Blanding, Utah on the site of a Chacoan Great House. The museum offers exhibits showcasing textiles, jewelry, pottery, and other representations of daily and ceremonial life for the Ancestral Pueblo people.

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Canyons of the Ancients National Monument

To find more information about the collections at Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum - or to plan a visit - check out their website or follow on Facebook.

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