The metal from which primitive people made jewelry was of natural origin

The period of primitiveness in the history of mankind is a very harsh time. This was a real test for people, survival and further development directly depended on their activity. Nevertheless, even in these conditions, people aspired to diversity, albeit in a primitive form.

What role did jewelry play?

When trying to understand and comprehend the life and aspirations of primitive people, one must bear in mind that the level of knowledge of that epoch was at a very low level, all the actions of people were connected according to their ideas with numerous good and evil spirits. The latter could harm people. And to protect themselves from their treachery, people used various magical rites. Even primitive ornaments were exclusively utilitarian properties of protection against an evil creature, evil eye and other negative phenomena that abounded among people.

People did not immediately learn how to use metal for their needs, if you carry out a periodization, then the whole camp is understandable. The Stone Age is conditionally divided into three stages: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic. It is clear that the basis of all products was stone, the turning point was the Eneolithic, when people gradually mastered the skills of processing copper. And although it is softer than stone, it nevertheless lends itself to forging and makes it possible to give it almost any shape. Therefore, for the manufacture of products is best suited metal, from which primitive people made jewelry. In addition, many traditions endowed copper with magical properties of scaring away all sorts of evil spirits.

Raw materials for jewelry

Ornaments of primitive people do not pretend to the exquisite aesthetic forms and finishes, although there are also highly artistic products. Of course, the priority was the residence of ancient people, because it was it that determined the appearance of a person. According to the legends of many peoples, one of the sacred metals is gold, from South America to Eastern Europe it is considered a frozen incarnation of sunlight that can disperse the darkness in which evil spirits hide. Therefore, the metal from which primitive people made jewelry was also gold nuggets, for lack of them, copper was widely used. Many burial mounds in the territory of our country abound with such ornaments.

The inability to use the alloys of different metals during the late primitive period led to the use of native metals: copper, gold and silver. Accordingly, in different places there was more of this or that metal, which went to decorations. In general, the primitive inhabitants tried to use it very economically, but this did not concern tribal chiefs, they even used metal decorations in their burials as a guard in the other world.

Variety of primitive ornaments

The decorations of ancient people were different in form and quality of execution. However, in all parts of the Earth in burials you can find hand and foot bracelets, they also played a magical role and protected people from wounds, which are most affected precisely these parts of the body. Whatever the metal, from which primitive people made ornaments, he always had to bear traces of magical effect. It could be a variety of letters, images, geometric shapes. Noteworthy is the fact that the modern tribes of the Amazon have removable sets of jewelry for different occasions, which differ both in shape and images depicted on them. It is on these tribes that ethnographers and other researchers check their conjectures and assumptions, since among them the pristine attitude to nature and the world, characteristic of all people of the age of antiquity, is preserved.

Metal, from which primitive people made jewelry, showed their social status. A large variety of metal jewelry spoke of the high position of the person who carried them.