Exploring Hypotheses on Early Holocene Caspian Seafaring Through Personal Ornaments: A Study of Changing Styles and Symbols in Western Central Asia

Abstract This article studies the discoid Didacna sp. shell beads discovered at Kaylu, a Middle Holocene burial site located in Southern Turkmenistan. Microscopic, morphometric, spectrometric, and SEM analyses were carried out on material to identify how manufactured used. New radiocarbon dating bioanthropological data age sex two skeletons burials are provided. A regional synthesis shows that personal ornaments from Caspian region diversified through time stylistic shift between last foragers first farmers occurred. We also observed strong correspondences documented northern, eastern, western Sea during Neolithic, with no evidence of similar symbolic production Northern Iran. propose northern route may have allowed diffusion common ornamental traditions exclusion southern Caspian. Alternatively, discontinuities culture coastal areas could be maritime voyaging. Seafaring granted fast spatially erratic specific bead types, people, information, knowledge, symbols both sides Sea, by long voyages or leapfrog Neolithic.