Shells are well-known as objects of adornment today, but the practice may date back for over 100,000 years.
Two years ago researchers working on prehistoric caves in Southern Africa found what was believed to be the earliest known pieces of jewellery made by modern humans. These were perforated Nassarius kraussianus shells. The shells were found in clusters of similar sizes, with perforations of similar shape and holes, and the scientists believed that they had been used to make necklaces or bracelets. These shells had been brought to the caves, as the nearest rivers at the time were around 20 km away. The researchers suggested that traces of red ochre on the shells also indicate that either the beads themselves or the surfaces against which they were worn were coated with the iron oxide pigment. These discoveries prompted researchers on Cave Systems in the Mediterranean to review their shells finds. A paper in Science in June 2006, published information on the finds of perforated marine gastropod shells preserved in archaeological sites. At Oued Djebbana in Algeria, about 200 km inland from the ocean, the nature of the flint tools incorporated in the sediments with the marine shell suggested an age of at least 90,000 years. At the other site, Skhul - a cave on the slopes of Mt Carmel, radiometric dates obtained from sediment matrix adhered to one shell of Nassarius gibbosulus indicate that the shell bead comes from a layer containing 10 human fossils dating to 100,000 to 135,000 years ago, about 25,000 years earlier than previous evidence for personal decoration by modern humans in South Africa. The authors suggest that the remoteness of these sites from the seashore and a comparison of the shells to natural shell assemblages indicate deliberate selection and transport by humans for symbolic use. Co-author Professor Chris Stringer of London's Natural History Museum says "We're confident these were artificially made. The position of the holes are exactly where people drill shells like this when they are making necklaces." In his view the most exciting information relates to understanding the evolution of human behavior. “The interesting thing about necklaces and this kind of behaviour is that it is symbolic. When we wear items like this, we are sending a message….The message may be that we are powerful, or wealthy, or sexy, that we're part of a particular group, or to ward off evil. They're not just decorative; we think they had a social meaning." The discovery of 75,000- year-old Nassarius shell beads at Blombos Cave in South Africa challenged the idea that there was fortuitous mutation in the human brain which triggered an explosion in human creativity 50,000 years ago, leading to a sudden appearance of personal ornaments, skilfully-crafted art, novel tools and weapons. In Professor Stringer’s view the dates for beads from Skhul and Oued Djebbana further weaken the "cultural explosion" scenario. The marine shells from Skhul are in the Palaeontology Department of the Natural History Museum in London, while the shell bead from Oued Djebbana is in the collections of Museum of Man in Paris.
To read more about these finds:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/5099104.stm To listen to the BBC radio programme online check out: Leading Edge Archive for 22nd June 2006; entitled, The Beginnings of Bling http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/ leadingedge.shtml
To download the Science podcast search for programme on 23rd June issue:
http://www.sciencemag.org/about/podcast.dtl To download the Science abstract: Marian Vanhaereny, Francesco d'Errico, Chris Stringer, Sarah L. James, Jonathan A. Todd, Henk K. Mienis 2006. Middle Paleolithic Shell Beads in Israel and Algeria Science 23 June 2006: Vol. 312. no. 5781, pp. 1785 – 1788 DOI: 10.1126/science.1128139