Rabat – A significant discovery has taken place in the Moroccan coastal city of Essaouira, where a set of jewelry dating back 150,000 years was found, according to senior royal advisor Andre Azoulay.
At a press conference held at Dar Souiri on Tuesday, Azoulay said that “Essaouira has experienced today one of the most exhilarating and moving moments of its long history with this discovery, in the Bizmoune cave.”
The jewelry, which was discovered in September of this year, is now confirmed to be the world’s oldest set of jewelry, and ”embodies in its own way the values on which Essaouira has identified itself over the past thirty years,” according to Azoulay.
The discovery was made by an international team of 26 researchers, including two archaeologists from the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Sciences in Rabat (INSAP), along with colleagues from the US, Spain, Germany, the UK, and France.
Their discovery indicates that the beads were perforated to be used as adornments on clothing or ceremonial jewelry.
The researchers have theorized that these beads function as a human form of non-verbal communication to mark identity or belonging.
These beaded necklaces provide information on the evolution of cognitive abilities and human interactions prevalent throughout North Africa during that specific era.
Even so, if the beads are determined to be ancient, the Bizmoune site would house the oldest bead ornaments in the world.
Before the discovery, the first known shell beads were discovered in the Cave of Smugglers in Temara and El Mnasra in Kenitra, which date back around 103,000 to 122,000 years ago.
Other shell beads found in the Skhul cave in Israel, are dated between 100,000 and 135,000 years ago. This new discovery confirms Morocco as an archaeological site of interest for researchers.
Last September, researchers uncovered the oldest clothing-making tools, dated at 120,000 years, in the Smugglers’ Cave near Temara.
The artifacts discovered were used to transform animal skins and furs into clothing. To date, this discovery marks the earliest indication of the existence of clothing in the world.
