2.1.5 Gooseberry Beads

Gooseberry beads (Kidd IIb18) are round, white-striped, and comprised of a colorless glass that often appears gray or yellow in tinge.⁷ The number of stripes on Jamestown's gooseberry beads varied between 8, 11, and 12. Gooseberry beads have been found in contexts that date from the late 16^th- through the middle 18^th-centuries in the Middle Atlantic and southeastern regions (Deagan 1987; Miller et al. 1983; Smith 1983). In the Northeast, however, they tend to be more common on late 16^th- and early 17^th-century sites (Kenyon and Fitzgerald 1986; Wray 1983). Gooseberry beads changed in form over time. Those of an elongated olive shape are associated with early 16^th-century contexts. Rounder examples like those in the Jamestown Rediscovery assemblage date to the 17^th-century. Barrel-shaped gooseberry beads are usually found in early 18^th-century contexts (Smith 1983:150).