Scientists discover in Morocco the “oldest jewels of humanity”

Morocco announced this Thursday the discovery of the “oldest jewels of humanity”, dating back “between 142,000 and 150,000 years”, near the Essaouira seaside resort (southwest).

A group of paleontologists unveiled several necklaces and bracelets made of small perforated shells colored with red ocher, found a few weeks ago in the cave of Bizmoune, near Essaouira.

“They are the oldest jewels of humanity”, said the Moroccan researcher Abdeljalil Bouzouggar, professor of National Institute of Archeology and Heritage Sciences (INSAP).

The discovery was made by an international team made up of the INSAP of Rabat, the University of Arizona (Tucson, EE.UU.) and the Mediterranean Laboratory of Prehistory Europe Africa (CNRS and University of Aix-Marseille, South of France).

It is a “great discovery for Morocco and for humanity ”, said the Moroccan Minister of Culture, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, who stressed that it provides information on “the first civilizations.”

Son “The oldest known in the world”explained the researcher, underlining that the shells would have also served as an instrument of communication.

“It was the first time that the human being used his body as a means, either to communicate with each other or with members of other groups, more or less far from their place of origin”, said.

According Bouzouggar, the humans in question collected the shells on the shoreline beaches.

“There are many species of shells, but they went looking for the same species both here, in Morocco, as in Algeria, in a deposit that dates back 35,000 years, in South Africa, in a deposit of 75,000 years ago, or in Israel, in a deposit of 135,000 years ago “, he pointed.

In your opinion, “It means that these people shared something with each other. Perhaps a language had emerged “.

The researcher recalled that in Morocco “one of the oldest Homo Sapiens in the world” was identified.