A Paleolithic jeweler’s workshop that thrived 20,000 years ago recently was excavated in China, unearthing about 100 exquisitely polished and shaped ostrich eggshells, according to a Xinhua news report.
While 16,000-year-old pottery has been found in China, the jewelry indicates artistry and beauty were appreciated along with practical function long before previously thought.
The ostrich eggshells appear to have been used to make necklaces, as each piece of worked eggshell, less than a half an inch in diameter and only around .04 inches thick, has a .12-inch-wide hole in the center, according to researchers.
Even after thousands of years, the objects retain their original yellow, ivory and red hues.
I wonder how they know how old they are. But the article doesn’t indicate that. What would you do with a necklace made of ostrich eggs? It would be very hard to wear. Those are pretty big beads.
found via Cronaca