The shell beads are not wampum. Wampum was used in the American northeast. The beads are small tubes, about 1/8 of an inch by 1/4th of an inch (4x8 mm) in size. European-made wampum (most made in America) is about twice that size.

Go to the "Trade Bead Section" and click on the "wampum" link on the left. That will take you to a number of pages that describe this bead, the most important bead in American history.