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Mollusks

A handmade turtle pendant resting on a turtle shell. It is green, blue, and brown, and has a circular purple and white shell in the center.

Turtle pendant with wampum bead in the center by Leonard Harmon (Lenape Tribe of New Jersey and Nanticoke Tribe of Delaware). Description: Mollusca is a phylum made up of freshwater and marine animals with soft bodies, sometimes surrounded by a hard exoskeleton or shell. The category includes animals like clams, squid, and snails. Uses: Mollusks are plentiful in the Chesapeake Bay, many of which are edible. The Eastern Oyster is probably the most important example. It has made up a part of the human diet here for thousands of years. Another important mollusk is the quahog, or hard clam. You’ve likely encountered quahog shells on the beach. They are a classic half-moon shape and have a delicate white and purple coloring. That coloring has made the quohog valuable in the American Indian culture of the east coast. The shells, known as wampum, were traded widely and even used as currency in some places. This is particularly true of Iroquoian-speaking tribes, such as the Haudenosaunee, Nanticoke, and others. Wampum is used in artwork and regalia (ceremonial clothing), as seen in the work pictured above.

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Left: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Right: Leonard Harmon.

Public domain:Full Granting Rights

Image

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, Code: CAJO

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
Latitude: 38.7776985168457, Longitude: -77.0294036865234

NPS.gov Collection

07/01/2020

01/01/0001

Public Can View

Friday, May 7, 2021 9:40:19 AM

Friday, May 7, 2021 9:40:19 AM

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Scenic