Did Archaeologists Find Western Europe's Oldest Shell Jewelry Workshop?

Archaeology Magazine ^ | September 26, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A multi-institutional research team working at the prehistoric site of La-Roche-à-Pierrot in Saint-Césaire identified the oldest known shell jewelry workshop in western Europe, according to a statement released by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Excavations uncovered a number of pierced shells as well as yellow and red pigments. However, it was the absence of wear marks and the presence of unperforated shells that led archaeologists to believe the site was used to manufacture finished products from raw materials. The shells came from the Atlantic coast, which was around 60 miles away at the time, while the pigments were sourced from a site at least 25 miles away. This attests to significant human mobility and long-distance trade networks established by the artifacts' creators. The site dates to between 55,000 and 42,000 years ago, a period that experts associate with the so-called Châtelperronian culture, which inhabited parts of France and northern Spain. This was a significant transitional era in western Europe when Neanderthals were in the process of being replaced by Homo sapiens. The researchers are not certain who exactly made the shell jewelry, but note the evidence indicates that Châtelperronian people may have been influenced by -- or may even have been part of -- a very early group of Homo sapiens who moved into the region. To read about an 18,000-year-old sea snail shell found in a French cave, go to "Artifact: Magdalenian Wind Instrument."

[SunkenCiv]

Thanatocoenosis on Men-Du Beach in Brittany, France (left), Littorina obtusata shells collected from thanatocoenosis (center), and color variability of shells

© S. Rigaud

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Perforated Littorina obtusata shells associated with Chatelperronian stone tools

© S. Rigaud & L. Dayet

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Oldest?
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Oldest, so far.

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