Segment beads were made from the columella of large univalves by cutting or by a groove-and-snap technique. The resulting beads were then smoothed, drilled, and strung. Their overall shape maintains the basic form of the columella although they vary in size and length; hence they range from almost a tubular shape to a disk shape. As segments of quite different forms were worn together with no indication of shape distinction, they were lumped under the single class of "segment," with only a size distinction of small, medium, and large noted.
The preform nature of this basic bead type allowed these segments to be modified into more finished forms of beads, some of which were found at the Fredricks site. Two beads made from segments having a more finished, symmetrical form and leaning toward the discoidal end of this bead form's spectrum were associated with Burial 5. These beads were found above the left temporal bone, next to the left ear, and are believed to have been a form of ear ornament.
