Ancient Shell Collection Reveals Signs of Early Culturalization of the Human Body, Study Suggests

A new study confirms the evidence that supports the evolutionary scenario for the culturalization of the human body.

Evidence of Early Beadwork

Researchers from Bergen University in Norway and the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa conducted the investigation. The findings provide crucial information about how and when humans may have started developing modern identities.

The research team was led by Francesco d'Errico, who discovered eye-catching, unmodified shells containing natural holes from 100,000 to 73,000 years ago. The shells were found in Blombos Cave on the southern Cape of South Africa's coastline. Similar shells have also been found in North Africa, other regions in South Africa, and the Mediterranean Levant.

The discovery confirms previous scant evidence that marine shells were collected, taken to the site, and probably worn as personal ornaments. This event happened before a stage where shells were systematically and intentionally perforated with suitable techniques to make composite beadworks. In other words, the unperforated and naturally perforated shells support the evidence that marine shells were gathered and probably used as ornaments before advanced techniques were developed around 70,000 years ago.

According to study co-author Karen Loise van Niekerk, they know that the shells are not the remains of edible shellfish species that could have been collected and brought to the site for food. They based their conclusion on the fact that the animals were already dead when the shells were collected. It can be seen from the condition of most of the shells, which are waterworn or contain growths inside them. Some of them also have holes made by a natural predator or from abrasion from wave action.

The research team measured the size of the shells, the holes made in them, and the wear on the edges of the holes, which were developed while the shells were worn on strings by humans. They also tried to determine where the shells came from in the site to see if they could be included in various groups of beads found close together that might have belonged to single items of beadwork.

Early Signs of Identity Creation

The emergence of technologies that helped modify the human body's appearance for cultural purposes is still a debated issue. The earliest evidence of perforated marine shells dated between 140 and 60 ka was found at archaeological sites from Africa and western Asia.

Van Niekerk reported that the team identified 18 new marine snail shells that could have been used for symbolism. This suggests a multistep progression for the culturalization of the human body with origins in the deep past.

From their study, van Niekerk and her team specifically demonstrated that humans gradually developed practices for modifying their appearance and transformed themselves into tools for communication and information storage. They also believe that they can see a creation of an identity that gradually and radically changed how humans look at themselves and others and the nature of societies.