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News Release 04-048
Shell Beads from South African Cave Show Modern Human Behavior 75,000 Years Ago
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Nassarius shell beads from Blombos Cave, an archaeological site on the South African coast, are 75,000 years old.
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
Karen van Niekerk and Josse Rasmussen excavate Middle Stone Age artifacts at Blombos Cave
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
Chris Henshilwood and co-workers excavate Middle Stone Age artifacts at Blombos Cave
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
These marine shells were selected for size and perforated 75, 000 years ago.
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
Chris Henshilwood examines the tiny shell beads found at Blombos Cave
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
Humans occupied Blombos Cave, on the shore of the Indian Ocean, 75,000 years ago. Accumulated dune sand then closed off the cave. About 2,000 years ago, rising sea levels re-opened Blombos and humans returned.
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
The perforations of these Nassarius shells show wear marks, indicating they were used as beads.
Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico
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Archaeologists discovered shell beads at Blombos Cave, 300 kilometers east of Cape Town, South Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. The beads were found in a layer of artifacts dating back 75,000 years.
Credit: C.Henshilwood / NSF