Seashell Artifacts

In the 1960s. in the city of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast necropolis. a prehistoric burial site, comprising at least 300 graves dug over Six and a half thousand years ago. In some of the graves they found ornaments made of gold and other rare materials. The attire of the most opulently outfitted Varna man, believed to have been the community leader,included an exquisite seashell bracelet that had been broken and mended with a gold plate. The seashell was from a marine animal Spondylus (“spiny oyster”) that had not come from the Black Sea but was from hundreds of miles away. Found across Europe, most ancient Spondylus artifacts were apparently made from shells collected while the animals were still alive and attached to their native rock homes; there are few signs of wear to suggest they spent time in the surf before being collected. When scientists analyzed the oxygen in ancient Spondylus objects, they found a chemical signature that became part of the shells while they grew. This revealed their Mediterranean origins, and in particular the warm, clear waters of the Aegean Sea. It was here, around the seventh or sixth millennium BC; that 1ocal artisans began fashioning Spondylus shells into ornaments, including many ring-shapes, which were likely worn around the arms as bracelets.

The meaning instilled in all these objects made from Aegean Spondylus remains part of what archaeologist Michel Louis Seferiades described as a “halo of mysteries.” There is no doubting their value arid deep significance. given how many people across such a large area buried their dead with them. Accumulating objects made not just from shells but from gold, copper, and other exotic materials seems to have been a sign of high rank or prestige, the preserve of chiefs and revered elders. Many Spondylus objects are rubbed and worn in ways that suggest they were used for a long time and passed between people. picking up stories and becoming heirlooms (family treasures passed down through generations). Remains of a few workshops have been uncovered, farther from the Aegean coast, where people reworked and recycled shell artifacts, which must have been a valuable and limited resource. Especially intriguing are the items that were deliberately damaged after they were made. Archaeologists have uncovered many broken Spondylus objects, and at first it was assumed that they were mistakes, evidence of artisans whose hands had slipped. But it soon became obvious that these were no accidents. One theory is that breaking and burning shell objects was a way of demonstrating your status. It could also have had a more spiritual basis. In 2006.archaeologists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska led a team who brought together most of the known Spondylus bracelets from the Varna necropolis, more than 200 in total. Like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle, they tried to work out which pieces fitted together and found that many. but usually not all, of the parts of a fragmented ring were placed together in a single grave; there were often pieces missing.

It is possible that Spondylus rings were ceremonially broken at the graveside; some fragments were buried with the deceased, with the rest given to mourning friends and relatives, creating indelible links between the living and the dead It is also possible that broken rings were used to create and maintain links between living people, who smashed and shared a ring. carrying the parts of it around, before reuniting them in the grave. Across Old Europe, there are other objects that seem to have been carefully manufactured and then deliberately destroyed, including little clay figurines that were thrown into fires and ritually exploded.

Something else archaeologists have done with the ancient Spondylus rings is try them on. Chapman and Gaydarska found that many of the complete bracelets were too small for either of them to slip over their adult hands But a younger volunteer, a five- and-a-half-year-old boy, could wear most of them and even fit some bracelets over his feet and onto his ankles. People from Old Europe may have ritually worn Spondylus rings from childhood, keeping them in place and soon being unable to take them off again.

1.In the 1960s. in the city of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast necropolis. a prehistoric burial site, comprising at least 300 graves dug over Six and a half thousand years ago. In some of the graves they found ornaments made of gold and other rare materials. The attire of the most opulently outfitted Varna man, believed to have been the community leader,included an exquisite seashell bracelet that had been broken and mended with a gold plate. The seashell was from a marine animal Spondylus (“spiny oyster”) that had not come from the Black Sea but was from hundreds of miles away. Found across Europe, most ancient Spondylus artifacts were apparently made from shells collected while the animals were still alive and attached to their native rock homes; there are few signs of wear to suggest they spent time in the surf before being collected. When scientists analyzed the oxygen in ancient Spondylus objects, they found a chemical signature that became part of the shells while they grew. This revealed their Mediterranean origins, and in particular the warm, clear waters of the Aegean Sea. It was here, around the seventh or sixth millennium BC; that 1ocal artisans began fashioning Spondylus shells into ornaments, including many ring-shapes, which were likely worn around the arms as bracelets.

2.In the 1960s. in the city of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast necropolis. a prehistoric burial site, comprising at least 300 graves dug over Six and a half thousand years ago. In some of the graves they found ornaments made of gold and other rare materials. The attire of the most opulently outfitted Varna man, believed to have been the community leader,included an exquisite seashell bracelet that had been broken and mended with a gold plate. The seashell was from a marine animal Spondylus (“spiny oyster”) that had not come from the Black Sea but was from hundreds of miles away. Found across Europe, most ancient Spondylus artifacts were apparently made from shells collected while the animals were still alive and attached to their native rock homes; there are few signs of wear to suggest they spent time in the surf before being collected. When scientists analyzed the oxygen in ancient Spondylus objects, they found a chemical signature that became part of the shells while they grew. This revealed their Mediterranean origins, and in particular the warm, clear waters of the Aegean Sea. It was here, around the seventh or sixth millennium BC; that 1ocal artisans began fashioning Spondylus shells into ornaments, including many ring-shapes, which were likely worn around the arms as bracelets.

 

 

3.In the 1960s. in the city of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast necropolis. a prehistoric burial site, comprising at least 300 graves dug over Six and a half thousand years ago. In some of the graves they found ornaments made of gold and other rare materials. The attire of the most opulently outfitted Varna man, believed to have been the community leader,included an exquisite seashell bracelet that had been broken and mended with a gold plate. The seashell was from a marine animal Spondylus (“spiny oyster”) that had not come from the Black Sea but was from hundreds of miles away. Found across Europe, most ancient Spondylus artifacts were apparently made from shells collected while the animals were still alive and attached to their native rock homes; there are few signs of wear to suggest they spent time in the surf before being collected. When scientists analyzed the oxygen in ancient Spondylus objects, they found a chemical signature that became part of the shells while they grew. This revealed their Mediterranean origins, and in particular the warm, clear waters of the Aegean Sea. It was here, around the seventh or sixth millennium BC; that 1ocal artisans began fashioning Spondylus shells into ornaments, including many ring-shapes, which were likely worn around the arms as bracelets.

 

 

4.The meaning instilled in all these objects made from Aegean Spondylus remains part of what archaeologist Michel Louis Seferiades described as a “halo of mysteries.” There is no doubting their value arid deep significance. given how many people across such a large area buried their dead with them. Accumulating objects made not just from shells but from gold, copper, and other exotic materials seems to have been a sign of high rank or prestige, the preserve of chiefs and revered elders. Many Spondylus objects are rubbed and worn in ways that suggest they were used for a long time and passed between people. picking up stories and becoming heirlooms (family treasures passed down through generations). Remains of a few workshops have been uncovered, farther from the Aegean coast, where people reworked and recycled shell artifacts, which must have been a valuable and limited resource. Especially intriguing are the items that were deliberately damaged after they were made. Archaeologists have uncovered many broken Spondylus objects, and at first it was assumed that they were mistakes, evidence of artisans whose hands had slipped. But it soon became obvious that these were no accidents. One theory is that breaking and burning shell objects was a way of demonstrating your status. It could also have had a more spiritual basis. In 2006.archaeologists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska led a team who brought together most of the known Spondylus bracelets from the Varna necropolis, more than 200 in total. Like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle, they tried to work out which pieces fitted together and found that many. but usually not all, of the parts of a fragmented ring were placed together in a single grave; there were often pieces missing.

 

 

5.The meaning instilled in all these objects made from Aegean Spondylus remains part of what archaeologist Michel Louis Seferiades described as a “halo of mysteries.” There is no doubting their value arid deep significance. given how many people across such a large area buried their dead with them. Accumulating objects made not just from shells but from gold, copper, and other exotic materials seems to have been a sign of high rank or prestige, the preserve of chiefs and revered elders. Many Spondylus objects are rubbed and worn in ways that suggest they were used for a long time and passed between people. picking up stories and becoming heirlooms (family treasures passed down through generations). Remains of a few workshops have been uncovered, farther from the Aegean coast, where people reworked and recycled shell artifacts, which must have been a valuable and limited resource. Especially intriguing are the items that were deliberately damaged after they were made. Archaeologists have uncovered many broken Spondylus objects, and at first it was assumed that they were mistakes, evidence of artisans whose hands had slipped. But it soon became obvious that these were no accidents. One theory is that breaking and burning shell objects was a way of demonstrating your status. It could also have had a more spiritual basis. In 2006.archaeologists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska led a team who brought together most of the known Spondylus bracelets from the Varna necropolis, more than 200 in total. Like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle, they tried to work out which pieces fitted together and found that many. but usually not all, of the parts of a fragmented ring were placed together in a single grave; there were often pieces missing.

 

 

6.The meaning instilled in all these objects made from Aegean Spondylus remains part of what archaeologist Michel Louis Seferiades described as a “halo of mysteries.” There is no doubting their value arid deep significance. given how many people across such a large area buried their dead with them. Accumulating objects made not just from shells but from gold, copper, and other exotic materials seems to have been a sign of high rank or prestige, the preserve of chiefs and revered elders. Many Spondylus objects are rubbed and worn in ways that suggest they were used for a long time and passed between people. picking up stories and becoming heirlooms (family treasures passed down through generations). Remains of a few workshops have been uncovered, farther from the Aegean coast, where people reworked and recycled shell artifacts, which must have been a valuable and limited resource. Especially intriguing are the items that were deliberately damaged after they were made. Archaeologists have uncovered many broken Spondylus objects, and at first it was assumed that they were mistakes, evidence of artisans whose hands had slipped. But it soon became obvious that these were no accidents. One theory is that breaking and burning shell objects was a way of demonstrating your status. It could also have had a more spiritual basis. In 2006.archaeologists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska led a team who brought together most of the known Spondylus bracelets from the Varna necropolis, more than 200 in total. Like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle, they tried to work out which pieces fitted together and found that many. but usually not all, of the parts of a fragmented ring were placed together in a single grave; there were often pieces missing.

 

 

7.The meaning instilled in all these objects made from Aegean Spondylus remains part of what archaeologist Michel Louis Seferiades described as a “halo of mysteries.” There is no doubting their value arid deep significance. given how many people across such a large area buried their dead with them. Accumulating objects made not just from shells but from gold, copper, and other exotic materials seems to have been a sign of high rank or prestige, the preserve of chiefs and revered elders. Many Spondylus objects are rubbed and worn in ways that suggest they were used for a long time and passed between people. picking up stories and becoming heirlooms (family treasures passed down through generations). Remains of a few workshops have been uncovered, farther from the Aegean coast, where people reworked and recycled shell artifacts, which must have been a valuable and limited resource. Especially intriguing are the items that were deliberately damaged after they were made. Archaeologists have uncovered many broken Spondylus objects, and at first it was assumed that they were mistakes, evidence of artisans whose hands had slipped. But it soon became obvious that these were no accidents. One theory is that breaking and burning shell objects was a way of demonstrating your status. It could also have had a more spiritual basis. In 2006.archaeologists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska led a team who brought together most of the known Spondylus bracelets from the Varna necropolis, more than 200 in total. Like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle, they tried to work out which pieces fitted together and found that many. but usually not all, of the parts of a fragmented ring were placed together in a single grave; there were often pieces missing.

 

 

8.It is possible that Spondylus rings were ceremonially broken at the graveside; some fragments were buried with the deceased, with the rest given to mourning friends and relatives, creating indelible links between the living and the dead It is also possible that broken rings were used to create and maintain links between living people, who smashed and shared a ring. carrying the parts of it around, before reuniting them in the grave. Across Old Europe, there are other objects that seem to have been carefully manufactured and then deliberately destroyed, including little clay figurines that were thrown into fires and ritually exploded.

 

 

9.In the 1960s. in the city of Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, archaeologists uncovered a vast necropolis. a prehistoric burial site, comprising at least 300 graves dug over Six and a half thousand years ago. ⬛ In some of the graves they found ornaments made of gold and other rare materials. ⬛ The attire of the most opulently outfitted Varna man, believed to have been the community leader,included an exquisite seashell bracelet that had been broken and mended with a gold plate. ⬛ The seashell was from a marine animal Spondylus (“spiny oyster”) that had not come from the Black Sea but was from hundreds of miles away. ⬛ Found across Europe, most ancient Spondylus artifacts were apparently made from shells collected while the animals were still alive and attached to their native rock homes; there are few signs of wear to suggest they spent time in the surf before being collected. When scientists analyzed the oxygen in ancient Spondylus objects, they found a chemical signature that became part of the shells while they grew. This revealed their Mediterranean origins, and in particular the warm, clear waters of the Aegean Sea. It was here, around the seventh or sixth millennium BC; that 1ocal artisans began fashioning Spondylus shells into ornaments, including many ring-shapes, which were likely worn around the arms as bracelets.

 

 

10.

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the 3 answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points. Drag your choices to the spaces where they belong. To review the passage, click on View Text. 

 

Rings made of Spondylus shells were discovered in the Bulgarian city of Varna, in graves from the sixth millennium B.C.E.

 

 

 

Answer Choices

 

O The shells were brought to the Varna area from far away, and together with gold and other rare materials, they probably showed the high social status of the person they were buried with. 

 

O Some Spondylus rings were made from damaged shells, but it is unclear whether the damage occurred in the sea before the shells were collected or in the workshops in which the rings were made. 

 

O Pieces of a Spondylus ring that were missing from a grave may have been kept by relatives and friends as a way of connecting with the deceased person. 

 

O Many Spondylus rings may have been put on during childhood and worn continuously until being deliberately destroyed during the owners’ lifetime or upon their death. 

 

O In some parts of Old Europe, Spondylus rings were buried with carefully manufactured clay figurines, but archaeologists are uncertain about what the significance of that may be. 

 

O Archaeologists found a few Spondylus rings that were unusually small, and these rings, unlike most of the other Spondylus rings, were probably worn around children’s arms and ankles. 

 

 

 

 

 

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