Bead drills and saucer beads from CA-SNI-25: A replication experiment in lithic and bead technology

Replication experiments of chert and metavolcanic bead drills were used to produce <italic>Olivella biplicata</italic> G saucer beads and K callus beads using the archaeological record and the shell bead typology developed by Bennyhoff and Hughes 1987. Investigations of the archaeological record from CA-SNI-25 discovered that the Chumash triangular cross-section microblade bead drills have been present on San Nicolas Island. The majority of the bead drills from CA-SNI-25 are made from flakes using local or traded material. Based on the results, the emergence of a new bead drill technology was discovered, the San Nicolas triangular cross-section flake bead drill. The islanders were producing a new drill technique, by using the Chumash triangular cross-section microblade bead drill as a prototype. Experiments throughout the research indicate that the triangular cross-section flake bead drill made of chert or local stone material can produce correct perforation sizes of either G saucer or K callus beads