Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans / Second annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880-81, pages 179-306

This work surveys shell artifacts produced by ancient American peoples, cataloguing natural and modified shells used as vessels, utensils, tools, fishing and agricultural appliances, weapons, and ornamental items. It describes manufacturing techniques and decorative treatments, illustrating engraved motifs such as crosses, scalloped disks, birds, spiders, serpents, and human figures alongside regional forms. The study examines beads, pins, pendants, perforated plates, and gorgets, and considers bead stringing, mnemonic functions, and economic uses including wampum belts in treaty contexts. Comparative description and illustration link form and function while suggesting possible symbolic meanings and patterns of distribution and trade.