Naturally perforated shells one of the earliest adornments in the Middle Paleolithic
Simulations and microscopic analysis confirm that ancient shells were
hung on strings and painted with ochre

Date:
July 8, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Ancient humans deliberately collected perforated shells in order
to string them together as beads, according to a new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Ancient humans deliberately collected perforated shells in order to
string them together as beads, according to a study published July 8,
2020 in the open- access journal PLOS ONE by Daniella Bar-Yosef Mayer
(Tel Aviv University, Israel), Iris Groman-Yaroslavski (University of
Haifa, Israel), and colleagues.


========================================================================== Shells are one of the oldest ways humans have adorned and expressed
themselves, with examples of deliberately-collected shell assemblages at
human sites dating as far back as 160,000 years ago found across North
Africa, South Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Shells from one Mediterranean Paleolithic site, Qafzeh Cave (dated to 120,000 years ago)
are all naturally perforated (in contrast to the unperforated shells found
at a nearby older site, Misliya Cave), suggesting that these shells were deliberately collected and strung together as beads.

To investigate the possibility of deliberate suspension to create
strings of shell beads, Bar-Yosef Mayer and Groman-Yaroslavski
collected the same species of perforated clamshells (Glycymeris) and
simulated the potential use and wear present on the original shells:
first systematically abrading the shells against different materials
like leather, sand, and stone to produce a catalogue of wear patterns,
then hanging the shells on strings made from wild flax to to identify
wear patterns specific to string suspension. They then compared these
wear patterns to those of the original Qafzeh Cave shells.

Microscopic analysis of the five best-preserved Qafzeh Cave shells
revealed traces consistent with those created in the simulated shells
via contact with a string, as well as traces of shell-to-shell contact (indicating the shells hung closely together). Four of the five original
shells also revealed traces of an ochre coloring treatment.

Though it's not possible to determine the precise symbolic meaning of
the shell bead strand from Qafzeh Cave, the fact that bivalve shells
are a frequent hallmark across Paleolithic sites gives a sense of their importance.

Additionally, the presence of a string seems to suggest that not only
was shell collection important -- the ability to display the shells to
others also likely held significance. As one of the earliest instances of perforated objects hung on strings, the Qafzeh Cave shells also bring us
closer to understanding the origins of string-making technology probably between 160-120,000 years ago.

Bar-Yosef Mayer adds: "Modern humans collected unperforated cockle
shells for symbolic purposes at 160,000 years ago or earlier, and around 120,000 they started collecting perforated shells and wearing them on
a string. We conclude that strings, which had many more applications,
were invented within this time frame."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Iris Groman-Yaroslavski, Ofer
Bar-Yosef,
Israel Hershkovitz, Astrid Kampen-Hasday, Bernard Vandermeersch,
Yossi Zaidner, Mina Weinstein-Evron. On holes and strings: Earliest
displays of human adornment in the Middle Palaeolithic. PLOS ONE,
2020; 15 (7): e0234924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234924 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200708150609.htm

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