Excavation of the African Burial Ground in New York City yielded the skeletal remains of more than 400 individuals. This paper is a preliminary discussion of the beads associated with seven of the burials. The in situ bead configurations of three of the internments are distinctive and appear to be indicative of cultural practices of Africans in 18th century New York. The configurations incude necklaces and possibly wristlets, as well as waistbeads. The latter represent the first recorded instance of such use by Africans or African descendants in North America. These objects provide insight into the religious or ritual behavior of the poeple who utilized the buria ground.