Description
Sumerian Shell Ring Money
From the Near East.
Size is about 1 inch and weighs about 6.5 grams.
Sumerian shell ring money, dating back to the early third millennium BCE in Mesopotamia, represents one of the earliest forms of currency used in the ancient world. These ring-shaped shells, primarily sourced from the Persian Gulf, were used as a medium of exchange, and their value was likely linked to their rarity, craftsmanship, and the long-distance trade networks they were a part of. Often associated with the Sumerian and other Mesopotamian cultures, these shell rings, sometimes referred to as “shell money,” were used in trade, dowries, and ceremonial contexts. The use of such shells as currency illustrates the complex economic systems developing in early urban societies and the role of symbolic and tangible commodities in facilitating commerce.
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