The oldest adornments ever found, perforated shells, were discovered in a limestone cave in eastern Morocco. These shells, some dyed with red ochre, were likely used as necklaces or bracelets 82,000 years ago. This discovery predates similar adornments found in Algeria, South Africa, and Palestine, showing that humans in Africa used symbols long before those in Europe. The Culture Ministry called this find a significant advancement in understanding cultural innovations and their impact on human history. While Morocco has yielded important prehistoric discoveries, little is known about the humans who lived there before Berber farmers settled in the region over 2,000 years ago. A group of scientists from Morocco, Britain, France, and Germany discovered and dated the shells in order to investigate the impact of climate and landscape changes on human behavior from 130,000 to 13,000 years ago. Their research is part of a larger study examining whether the Strait of Gibraltar served as a passageway or obstacle for early humans traveling between Africa and Europe.