Saturday, April 17, 2004

*Ø* Blogmanac | 75,000-year-old jewellery

From the BBC: "The oldest pieces of jewellery made by modern humans have emerged in Africa.

"Shell beads found in Blombos Cave on the southern tip of the continent are 75,000 years old, scientists say.

"The pea-sized items all have similar holes which would have allowed them to be strung together into a necklace or bracelet, the researchers believe.

"Christopher Henshilwood and his team have told Science magazine the find is probably one of the first examples of abstract thought seen in our ancestors.

"'The beads carry a symbolic message. Symbolism is the basis for all that comes afterwards including cave art, personal ornaments and other sophisticated behaviours,' Professor Henshilwood, of the University of Bergen, Norway, told BBC News Online."

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