Archaeologists have found the oldest known evidence of body puncture (drilling) in skeletons from Turkey, dating back to about 11,000 years ago. This was reported by Arkeonews.
Scientists from Ankara University found more than 100 pieces of jewelry near the ears and jaws of their ancient owners. It is made of limestone, obsidian, chlorite, copper and river pebbles. The variety of ornaments suggests that they were designed to pierce the ears and lower lip. Piercing has been found in both men and women, but only in adults, connecting jewelry with a coming-of-age ritual. This means that people are getting their bodies pierced not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for symbolic purposes.
The finding challenges current ideas that the first drilling practices emerged in the mid-7th millennium BC.
“This suggests that traditions that are still an important part of our lives today were already developed during an important transitional period when people first began settling in permanent villages in Western Asia more than 10,000 years ago. Scientists have found that beads, bracelets and pendants included He noted that they have very complex decoration practices that reflect a highly developed symbolic world expressed through the human body.
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