[Jewelry making - Article 00725] - Re: [Orchid] Initial impulses for self adornment

[Steven Holden]

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    I've often considered this...dunno where you can find academic
    studies ,probably google social archaeology or somesuch,here's my 10
    centimos anyway... I think a lot of it came about during the
    hunter-gatherer phase of our social evolution...if our ancient
    ancestors are anything like contemporary hunter-gatherers, they had a
    lot of free time after their food/shelter needs had been
    fulfilled.Coincidentally they'd also have a lot of
    bones,teeth,sinew,skins,fruit pits,seeds etc lying around.The
    foragers among them would doubtless also have some pretty polished
    and rounded stones to hand that they'd found while poking about for
    food,on river banks and seashores.Given that one always likes to
    differentiate oneself from the crowd to attract or hold the interest
    of a mate, why not adorn ones body with some of these pretty
    objects?....So free time plus raw materials equals jewellery. There
    are  ritual and social status  sides to it too, as hunters tend to
    be pretty superstitious, so wearing a tooth or a claw around your
    neck not only shows you're a successful hunter and therefore an
    important sort of chap, it also connects you with that animal , and
    may bring the hunter luck in future hunts. So much for necklaces
    pendants and amulets. Rings are a different and later idea
    symbolising ownership (wives,slaves) or social status ( seal
    rings,intaglios, symbols of office)...as for earrings....... i
    dunno.......an early way for women to draw attention to their hair
    and eyes, which still proves highly successful today


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