World’s “oldest jewelry” currently showcased in Chellah, Rabat

The archeological discoveries from the Bismoun Cave in Essaouira are being showcased in the Chellah space in Rabat, starting this Thursday.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, Mehdi Bensaid, and the research team supervised the presentation at the exhibition, in the presence of Royal Advisor Andre Azoulay and ambassadors of various countries, who came to see the discoveries for the first time.

The search team, made up of Moroccan and foreign scientists, discovered 32 marine pieces made of a seashell called Tritia Gibbosula, formerly known as Nassarius Gibbosulus, making up one of the world’s oldest pieces of jewelry so far.

The seashells were most likely used by humans as ornamental necklaces, which indicates a very ancient symbolic behavior, according to the international team’s publication.

Bensaid said that his Ministry is organizing this event in celebration of Independence Day, noting that this great discovery in Essaouira reflects the important history of human civilization’s early years in North Africa, and precisely in Morocco.

In a statement to Hespress AR, the official said that “such discoveries contribute to the unveiling of human history as a whole, and makes Moroccans aware of the ample treasures the Kingdom has to offer the world.”

Royal Adviser Andre Azoulay said this moment is “significant,” and thanked the minister for choosing Chellah to commemorate the event. Azoulay thanked the scientists for their efforts and hard work, which spanned years.

Azoulay added, in a statement to Hespress AR, that “this discovery will contribute in the re-examination of historic facts, especially in regards to communication between different human groups of the era.”

Abdeljalil Bouzoukar, professor of higher education at the National Institute of Archeology and Heritage in Rabat, said that “this discovery carries great symbolism.”

Bozukar added that “symbolic tools, unlike artifacts, can only be communicated through language,” and therefore these symbols are linked to language, which suggests that we are at the cusp of language introduced in the history of human civilization.

The Moroccan researcher explained that such discoveries “highlight the beginning of the formation of collective identities,” as the spread of such marine seashells dates back 35,000 years.