African Trade Beads

3rd graders study Mali, European explorers and Mali. 

The European Explorers had glass beads that were made in Europe.

They were beautiful colors of glass.

Our beads are like the ones made in Venice, Italy that used the Millefiori technique.  The "million flowers" were produced by creating flowers or stripes from glass canes, that were then cut and molded onto a core of solid color.

Beads were used as ballast in slave/trade ships for the outbound trip. 
European Explorers traded the African people for salt, gold and slaves.
Mali controlled most of the gold and salt.

We traded beads with each other made necklaces.

Can you find your beads?