Ivory BAND
Personal ornament
Gravettian
Around 30,000 years ago
This long, flat and arched form made of ivory is quite common in the Gravettian.
Y. Taborin, Langage sans parole. La parure aux temps préhistoriques. La maison des roches, Paris. 2004
Commentary :
Ivory bands can be found in sites from Central Europe, and the Russian Great Plain. Most of are dated to about 30 000 years ago.
Fossil mammoth ivory extracted from the frozen ground in these regions is easily cut into thin, flexible strips. These bands of ivory, decorated and perforated at their extremities, could have been rolled up and used as rings or bracelets.
Rings are still worn on the finger by humans of both sexes. Their appearance during the Gravettian period highlights the dizzying lifespan of this small personal piece of jewellery.