Study: Neanderthals Were the First to Wear Jewelry
Ana Verayo | | Mar 12, 2015 07:47 AM EDT |
The remains of an ancient necklace or bracelet made by Neanderthals have been uncovered in Croatia.
These artifacts support the theory Neanderthals apparently had their own rich culture and used symbols even before the arrival of Homo Sapiens in Europe.
According to study lead author David Frayer from the University of Kansas, this evidence is an amazing discovery and it's apparently one of those things that appeared out of nowhere. This was so unexpected since there's nothing like it recent times.
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Today, some traditional cultures still wear this kind of jewelry. It's usually made from different materials like shells.
This prehistoric jewelry is made from claws from white tailed eagles. The claws appear to have multiple cut marks that are smoothened out.
The claws were dated back to 130,000 years and appear to have been polished before they were worn on either the neck or wrist with a string.
The white tailed eagles or "sea eagles" can still be found today. They're large birds of prey that are the cousins of bald eagles.
The Neanderthals apparently originated from a site called Krapina where researchers believe the eagles, especially their claws, have an important, symbolic meaning for the prehistoric people. The meaning still remains a mystery, however.
The white tailed eagle is considered the national bird of Germany and appears in German coat of arms. It's usually depicted holding a large fish.
Scientists also believe Neanderthals could have trained these majestic birds to catch fish for them or even small animals. This prehistoric jewelry suggests Neanderthals could have worn this to display bravery as claws on their bodies are a prehistoric symbol of prestige.
This study was published in the journal, Plos One.
TagsStudy: Neanderthals Were the First to Wear Jewelry, neanderthals first to wear jewelry, prehistoric humans, evolution of humans, neanderthals jewelry eagle claws
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