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Archaeologists in Poland have discovered the remains of a 41,500 - year - older pendant made of gigantic ivory and dress with puncture fall guy , which is the oldest piece of jewelry decorated by modern humans in Eurasia on record book .

The pendent , which is now in two pieces , was establish during archeologic excavations carried out in Stajnia Cave , Poland , in 2010 , and recent carbon 14 piece of work dates it to around 41,500 year ago , a team of scientist reported in a paper published online Thursday ( Nov. 25 ) in the journalScientific Reports .

Two different views of the pendant, crafted from mammoth ivory. The scale bar is 1 centimeter.

Two different views of the pendant, crafted from mammoth ivory. The scale bar is 1 centimeter.

" The decoration of the dependent include design of over 50 puncture mark in an irregular looping curve , and two complete fix , " the team enjoin in a statement . They noted that each puncture could represent a successful beast hunt or cycle of themoonor sun .

" It is the oldest known [ jewellery ] of its kind in Eurasia and it demonstrate a new start particular date for a custom directly connected to the bed cover of modernHomo sapiensin Europe , " the researchers wrote in the cogitation .

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An aerial view of Stajnia Cave in Poland.

An aerial view of Stajnia Cave in Poland.

The pendant was likely wear around someone ’s neck opening , but we ca n’t be certain , say study lead investigator Sahra Talamo , achemistryprofessor at the University of Bologna in Italy , who specializes in humanevolutionand carbon 14 go steady .

The research worker noted that the chandelier was created at a time when anatomically modern man were first develop jewelry and other forms of consistency adornment around the world . Why humans started using jewellery at this time is a mystery that investigator are trying to understand , Talamo said .

" This is [ a ] very nice question , but at the moment , we can not say much , " Talamo tell Live Science in an email . " We do not eff what form of modification they faced that madeHomo sapiensshape such a wonderful physical object . "

Small ivory diving bird sculpture pointed down at a 45-degree angle against a royal blue background

In add-on to the pendant , an awl — a shaft used for piercing objects — was found near the corpse of the pendent in 2010 . The awl is made out ofhorsebone and go out to around the same time as the pendent .

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Stajnia Cave has been a hotspot of archaeological discoveries . mining there from 2006 to 2010 uncovered a number ofNeanderthal(Homo neanderthalensis ) stay , as well as a Brobdingnagian hookup of latePleistocene Epoch(2.58 million to 11,700 years ago ) steppe - tundra creature remain andartifacts from the Paleolithic , or Stone Age .

search into the newly described artifacts is ongoing .

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