Saed News: Below are images of the oldest known jewelry, which was excavated from a cave and is estimated to be 130,000 years old.
Saed News Historical Desk Report
You might be surprised to learn that even cave-dwellers from 130,000 years ago were interested in jewelry and used it for decoration and adornment.
In late 2013, a professor examining a collection of artifacts discovered during excavations in a cave noticed something remarkable. He closely inspected the edges of claws found among the items and observed numerous cut marks on them. He concluded that these must have been used as jewelry.
Later, in 2015, an international team confirmed Professor Radovčić's theory, reshaping our perception of prehistoric humans. Previously, cave-dwellers were thought of as having purely animalistic instincts, but this discovery demonstrated that they possessed symbolic thinking. It also indicated that, much like modern humans, they felt a need for adornment and beauty.
A necklace made with Nassarius kraussianus sea snail beads was found in Blombos Cave.
In Israel’s Skhul Cave, researchers discovered a necklace made from marine snail shells of the Nassarius species.
These beads are considered the earliest known human-made jewelry, dating back around 110,000 years. Similar beads were later found across Africa, including even older samples in Morocco, estimated to be about 80,000 years old.
Slightly newer versions were found in a cave on the southern tip of Africa, dating to around 75,000 years ago.
For a long time, the oldest known personal adornments were believed to come from Enkapune Ya Muto — meaning “Twilight Cave” — in Kenya. These ornaments, estimated to be 40,000 years old, were made from ostrich eggshells, pierced and strung together to form necklaces.
This discovery coincided with changing beliefs about the cognitive abilities of ancient humans, as it aligned with the emergence of symbolic imagery and abstract thinking.
40,000-Year-Old Stone Bracelet — Denisova Cave
In 2008, during excavations in the Altai region of Siberia, a stone bracelet was discovered among other human remains.
Once layers of dust and debris were removed, testing revealed it dated back 40,000 years. Further analysis showed that it had been crafted using technology not previously believed to exist in the Paleolithic era.
Initially thought to have been made by modern humans, this theory was quickly dismissed. It was later confirmed that the bracelet had been created by the Denisovans, a group of archaic humans.
Excavation in Varna and the Discovery of the World's Oldest Gold Jewelry
One of the earliest civilizations to use gold was the Varna culture, located near the Black Sea in what is now eastern Bulgaria, a region rich in lakes.
Thanks to its proximity to water, gold trade quickly flourished. In cemeteries where the Varna people buried their dead — dating from 4560 to 4450 BCE — more than 290 graves were uncovered. Notably, 42 of these graves were empty, containing only burial offerings with no human remains.
Most significantly, one grave contained gold jewelry, suggesting that it belonged to a wealthy individual from the Varna elite.
Perhaps the most iconic jewelry belongs to the cradle of civilization — Egypt. Egyptian goldsmiths were responsible for crafting Tutankhamun’s burial mask, Nefertiti’s bust, golden inscriptions in the Pyramids of Giza, and many other marvels of ancient Egypt.
None of that would have been possible without the early steps of goldworking — including necklaces and head ornaments dating back 5,000 years. Egyptian jewelry had two distinct features:
Abundance of Silver: Early pieces were often made from silver, which was more plentiful in the region. Even leftover silver pieces were used by commoners.
Use of Glass: Instead of using gemstones, Egyptians often used colored glass, which made their jewelry distinctive and vibrant.
A Pair of Gold Hair Clips – Mesopotamian, Circa 2000 BCE
Most Mesopotamian jewelry was made from thin gold sheets adorned with colorful gemstones.
The oldest surviving examples date back to around 2900 BCE and were preserved in the Royal Cemetery of Ur.
