Natural pearl found in 2,000-year-old shell midden

A natural marine pearl which dates back 2,000 years has been found in a shell midden in Australia.

“Pearls have not been recovered before from ancient sites in Australia. Since the find is unique, analysis could not damage or take samples from any portion of the pearl, so researchers from UOW developed a range of non-destructive analyses to gather more information,” she said.

Round natural pearls are extremely rare in nature. The Brremangurey pearl’s shape, and the fact that it was found near the heartland of the Australian cultured pearl industry, initially raised doubts about its 2,000 year old date. The date was established through radiocarbon analysis of surrounding shell midden material. To investigate whether it was a modern cultured pearl which may have worked its way into the deposits from the surface, micro-computed tomography (a form of micro CAT scan) was used.

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Story: University of Wollongong | Photo: University of Wollongong