Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Central Wyoming’s River Bend site (48NA202) is notable for containing the largest collection of adornments discovered in the state, showcasing significant evidence of bead and pendant production from riverine mollusk shells.
Additional ornaments found include bird and canid bone beads, elk ivory pendants, Olivella sp. beads, and a steatite bead. A few metal artifacts along with a new radiocarbon date suggest an early post-Contact period between AD 1700 and 1725. This indicates the site as a crucial transitional point in Plains Indian adornment practices, blending Native-produced items with traded goods.
Shell beads in different stages of production. Credit: Pelton et al, Plains Anthropologist (2025). DOI: 10.1080/00320447.2025.2530336
Located near the North Platte River in Casper, Wyoming, the River Bend site was excavated during the 1970s to salvage artifacts before construction activities began. Despite extensive excavation efforts covering hundreds of square meters, it is estimated that nearly 75% of the site was lost. The occupation period around AD 1700–1750 places it after Euro-American contact but still within an era where both pre-contact and post-contact materials were used.
A recent study published in Plains Anthropologist by Dr. Spencer Pelton and colleagues details their latest archaeological findings at this location. Based on previous artifact examinations, it is believed that people ancestral to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe occupied this site. Dr. Pelton notes that Carolyn Buff (a co-author) initially suggested a Shoshone connection due to several recovered artifacts such as point types, steatite objects, and teshoas—tri-notched arrow points like those found at River Bend are common in Shoshone sites.
Steatite or soapstone is frequently discovered at sites within western Wyoming’s Shoshone heartland and often carved into large flat-bottomed bowls; teshoas are unique split cobbles used for hide processing. These findings led original investigators to propose a possible Shoshone occupation; however, there remains potential for other cultures having utilized similar items as well.
“Although the River Bend adornment assemblage has been briefly reported, it has never been fully described. Addressing this, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the River Bend bead and pendant assemblage, describing its physical characteristics and spatial distribution across the extensively excavated site. We argue that at least one metal awl in the assemblage was used as a drill during shell adornment production. The introduction of such implements may have led to large-scale adornment production of the sort documented at River Bend and at least one other northern Plains early post-Contact site.”, the scientists wrote in their study.
Dr. Pelton and his team have estimated that the site housed over 5,000 artifacts. These include items made from bone, stone, ocher, metal, shell, and antler. This makes River Bend the most abundant collection of adornments found in Wyoming.
The study successfully provided a detailed analysis of the assemblage, highlighting the significance of Plains Indian clothing and body adornment. These adornments often included expensive or hard-to-acquire items, which were used to signify status, achievements in war, and membership in various societies. Anthropologists are most familiar with these adornments through ethnographies, photographs, and illustrations that were heavily influenced by post-contact trade.
The River Bend site offers a unique perspective as it is a transitional location from the early post-contact period. This site provides valuable insights into the adornment practices of that era. Among the discoveries were shell disk beads, commonly used as adornments in early Great Plains and other North American cultures. These beads were typically strung on necklaces or found around the necks, wrists, and ankles of individuals buried at that time.
Additionally, Olivella sp. shells were discovered at River Bend in small quantities—a testament to long-distance trade practices for acquiring these marine gastropod shells throughout prehistory into historical times. Historical records indicate these shells were worn as necklaces, sewn into garments like shirts, and used as earrings; it is plausible they served similar functions during pre-contact periods as well.
(a) projectile points; (b) iron arrow point; (c) iron awl. Credit: Pelton et al, Plains Anthropologist (2025). DOI: 10.1080/00320447.2025.2530336
The discoveries of mollusk shells and elk ivory pendants offer valuable insights into the evolution of adornment practices. Shell pendants, dating back to as early as 1500 BP, differ from those depicted in historical images, with only a few paintings by Bodmer in the 1830s showing such adornments. In contrast, elk ivory pendants are frequently seen in historical photographs and documented by traders, explorers, and ethnographers. This suggests that shell pendants’ aesthetic role was likely supplanted by elk ivory between Bodmer’s era and the rise of photography.
Additionally, evidence from the River Bend site indicates that shell bead production involved metal awls found at this location. Dr. Pelton explains that these awls represent some of the earliest items from early contact sites—items typically traded for their utility similar to traditional tools made from stone or bone by Plains Indian societies over millennia.
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Metal tools like awls, needles, knives, kettles, axes—and later chisels and files for making metal arrowheads—were highly sought after due to their durability and superior performance compared to stone or bone counterparts. The introduction of iron awls likely boosted shell ornament production since shells were more readily available than bones.
This study sheds light on how post-contact Plains Indian adornment practices adapted amidst European influence: maintaining traditional methods while integrating new technologies into their cultural fabric.
The study was published in the journal Plains Anthropologist
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
