Jewelry

Early Evidence of the Presence of Jewelry among Cultures

The first indication that jewelry was an important element in human society is traced back 100,000 years ago during the Ice Age, when human bodies were buried with funeral gifts including jewelry. Archaeologists have found the remains of inorganic materials such as stones, fossils, and clay that were used in the making of jewelry during the Paleolithic Age dating between 50000 and 10000 BC. Other materials suspected to be used during this time to make jewelry include bones, horns, shells, and amber. The jewelry created was in the forms of necklaces, amulets, bracelets, earrings, and headdresses made from carved ivory, seashells, and antlers, as well as animal and fish teeth and bones. Linear and stipple designs and carvings replicating animals forms suggest special attention to the detailing of jewelry. In Europe, rock paintings left by hunters and gatherers during the Ice Age consist of drawings and image267. Facial ornaments such as earrings, lip, and nose ornaments were also depicted on these individuals. These findings suggest that jewelry creation and application were quite significant during this time.

The Neolithic Age was an evolutionary period in the production of jewelry. Materials used in making ornaments became increasingly available with the rise of horticulture, and improvements in living conditions led to population growth. Advancement in toolmaking enabled artisans to create more complex pieces of jewelry as well as increase production. Materials such as spondylus (mollusk) shells, amber, marble, copper, and gold were used in the exchange of goods. With these changes in effect, other materials and procedures were used to create jewelry. Pearls, precious metals, and stones were carefully cut, shaped and polished into works of art and forms of wealth. In comparison to earlier periods, more time was spent creating pieces of jewelry which reflected craftsmanship and artistic ability. The advancement of jewelry making also introduced the use of chains and the heating, hammering, and molding of metals into specific forms and designs. Widespread trade played a significant role in the development of jewelry making. The style and materials used in construction were representations and indicators of regions and areas in which jewelry originated. During this period, jewelry specific to particular regions is found over extensive distances. An example of this distribution involves the discovery of spondylus shells, copper and gold jewelry originally from the Mediterranean, but found in Central and northern Europe.

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