How did they make wampum?

Answer 1

The English word wampum derives from the Natick term wampumpeage, meaning white beads made from the central stem of the periwinkle shell (Pyrula carica or Pyrula canaliculata).

For the natives, another type of bead was far more valuable - suckihogk or black/dark/purple shell, made from round clams (Venus mercenaria).

Unable to make the distinction, Europeans called all of these beads wampum.

The process was very labour intensive and time consuming. Real wampum (white beads) began with central stem of the periwinkle, which already has a hole through its centre; this had to be painstakingly cut into sections without the use of metal tools and then smoothed by grinding on abrasive stones.

Purple beads took far longer (hence their value): the clam shells were smashed into fragments, each of which had to be drilled with a fine stone drill bit or a sharpened piece of wood coated with wet sand. These were then strung and repeatedly pulled through channels in abrasive stones or simply rubbed and rolled on a flat stone until they became round and smooth-sided.