A large Sumerian bangle carved from a shell plate. The piece is roughly shaped and of uneven circumference. The surface is ridged and pitted, partly through wear and partly because the natural contours of the shell have not been smoothed away. The shell plate curves slightly inwards, creating an almost domed shape to the bangle. Sumer is the site of the earliest known civilization, located in the southernmost part of Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The first civilisation in Sumer was that of the Ubaidians – they actively practised agriculture; developed trade; and established industries, including weaving, leatherwork, metalwork, masonry, and pottery. The Sumerians are notable for a number of reasons; they created the oldest known writing system, known as cuneiform, the wheel, early mathematics, law and literature, and were some of the first brewers of beer. Measurements: Outer - W 11.8 cm Inner - W 8.5 cm Provenance: Ex Abelita family collection, acquired 1980-2015