Scientists have found the oldest beads used for ornamental and decorative purposes by humans. These beads date back approximately 100,000 years, 25,000 years earlier than any previous discovery.
The results of the study were reported in today's issue of the journal 'Science.' Scientists from University College London and the National Center for Scientific Research in Talence, France wrote the report.
The beads were made of mollusk shells that were discovered years ago in Israel and Algeria. These beads are similar to those found in the Blombos Cave in South Africa. The Blombos cave dated back 75,000 years.
Shortly after the discovery of the Blombos Cave, scientists tried to locate similar pieces in other museums worldwide. They located the pieces discovered in the 1930s and 1940s at archaeological sites in Skuhl, Israel, and in Oued Djebbana, Algeria.
Amazingly, the beads were nearly identical. They were made from the same species, Nassarius gibbosulus, a scavenging marine snail that lives in shallow waters. They also had similar perforated holes.
The Algerian beads had sediment in them dating back 90,000 years while those found in Israel had 100,000 year old sediment.
It seems that people have long desired to beautify themselves and add to use ornamental items as status symbols. Additional research on the beads is planned.
