Book 5, Question 94
Seashells Far From the Sea! Why Did People Trade Them?
Shells found far from the ocean show that objects moved long distances. People may have traded or passed them along as jewelry or special items. A shell far from the sea is a clue that groups were connected.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- The Hopewell people of Ohio's Scioto River Valley collected seashells, but not as home decorations the way many people use them today.
- Lightning whelk shells may have reached Ohio from the coast through travel, trade or gifts.
- Neanderthals collected empty shells along the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Spain.
- At Olorgesailie in Africa, Middle Stone Age people got 50 to 60 percent of their toolmaking materials from far away.
- Smithsonian researchers found signs of long-distance trade at Olorgesailie dating back tens of thousands of years.
- The ancient Greeks crushed oyster shells to use in toothpaste.
Sources: National Park Service, UFL, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Did Neanderthals collect shells?
Yes. They gathered empty shells along the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Spain.