Mesopotamian Sumerian Shell Currency skirt A rare survivor from one

A rare survivor from one of the ancient world's least understood yet most visually compelling cultures

fashioned from the antler of a red deer

sealed with a wooden lid

Slightly bent shaft with rich golden brown patina and few minor worm holes

Mesopotamian Sumerian Shell Currency skirt A rare survivor from oneThe Sumerian civilization, c. 35003000 BC, Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) Magnificent and historically significant group of three ancient shell currency rings, among the earliest known forms of true money. These circular rings were cut from cone shaped marine shells, carefully shaped and polished, and used as a medium of exchange during the formative period of Sumerian civilization. Examples of this type have been discovered at archaeological