Middle stone age shell beads from South Africa

Abstract

There are two competing models for the emergence of modern human behaviour: first, a late emergence in Africa or Eurasia similar to 50 to 40 thousand years ago and second, and a gradual transition in Africa between 250 to 50 ka. The earliest undisputed African personal ornaments are 13 ostrich eggshell beads from Enkapune Ya Muto in Kenya similar to 40 ka. Evidence from Eurasia includes two perforated teeth, dated similar to 43 ka, from Bacho Kiro in Bulgaria and 58 marine shell beads from the similar to 41-ka layers of Üçagizli, Turkey.