The History of Jewelry
Believe it or not, jewelry is our first and oldest form of self-expression. Beads carved from shells, made by early humans from 90,000 years ago were found around Skhul Cave on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Israel and in Oued Djebbana, Algeria. Paleontologists believe that our ancestors reserved jewelry for special occasions, and the privilege to wear them is only accorded to people that had a special function in society. Prehistoric jewelry were made with rare and beautiful materials such as gems like chlorite; a greenish type of stone, or bones from prized hunted animals, and then much later, with metal. These ancient jewelry are excellent findings for archaeologists and anthropologists as it gives us great insight on how early humans formed their society. The materials they worked with, along with the techniques they use, show their skill and craftsmanship, and the designs in their jewelry are evocative of what their culture was like.