The Oldest Jewelry In The World Unearthed in Morocco
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, our ancestors created jewelry pieces, according to a recent discovery.
Archaeologists in Morocco announced on Thursday, November 18, 2021, that they made an impressive discovery, "with enormous implications for the history of humanity."
They discovered the oldest jewelry in the world: perforated seashells that formed necklaces and bracelets. The items were determined to be between 142,000-150,000 years old, according to researcher Abdeljalil Bouzouggar.
The precious objects were found in the Bizmoune cave near the coastal resort of Essaouira.
Researchers Trilled To Discover The Oldest Jewelry In The World
"The discovered objects are 142,000 to 150,000 years old. They raise the question: the discovery implies the existence of a language used to communicate between these groups or with members of other groups," said the archaeologists, according to Al Araby.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Bouzouggar said that similar ornaments have been found in the Middle East and Africa, dating back between 35,000 and 135,000 years.
"These people searched for the same type of seashell despite the existence of many other types," the researcher explained.
"This shows that they shared something. Maybe there was even a language. The shells were probably part of the way people expressed their identity with their clothing. They're the tip of the iceberg for that kind of human trait. They show that it was present even hundreds of thousands of years ago and that humans were interested in communicating to bigger groups of people than their immediate friends and family," he added.
The Team That Discovered The Oldest Known Jewelry In The World
- professor of anthropology Steven L. Kuhn from the University of Arizona (UA) College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Francois Lanoe of the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology
- Regents Professor of Anthropology Mary Stiner
- doctoral students Kayla Worthey and Ismael Sanchez-Morales
Archaeologists in Morocco announced on Thursday, November 18, 2021, that they made an impressive discovery, "with enormous implications for the history of humanity."
They discovered the oldest jewelry in the world: perforated seashells that formed necklaces and bracelets. The items were determined to be between 142,000-150,000 years old, according to researcher Abdeljalil Bouzouggar.
The precious objects were found in the Bizmoune cave near the coastal resort of Essaouira.
Researchers Trilled To Discover The Oldest Jewelry In The World
"The discovered objects are 142,000 to 150,000 years old. They raise the question: the discovery implies the existence of a language used to communicate between these groups or with members of other groups," said the archaeologists, according to Al Araby.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Bouzouggar said that similar ornaments have been found in the Middle East and Africa, dating back between 35,000 and 135,000 years.
"These people searched for the same type of seashell despite the existence of many other types," the researcher explained.
"This shows that they shared something. Maybe there was even a language. The shells were probably part of the way people expressed their identity with their clothing. They're the tip of the iceberg for that kind of human trait. They show that it was present even hundreds of thousands of years ago and that humans were interested in communicating to bigger groups of people than their immediate friends and family," he added.
The Team That Discovered The Oldest Known Jewelry In The World
- professor of anthropology Steven L. Kuhn from the University of Arizona (UA) College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Francois Lanoe of the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology
- Regents Professor of Anthropology Mary Stiner
- doctoral students Kayla Worthey and Ismael Sanchez-Morales
