The first #art was #body art...
Here a review based in #Blombos (S #Africa) #MiddleStoneAge evidence on the origin of personal ornamentation is presented.
* marine gastropods from Blombos Cave dated to between 100 ka and 70 ka.
* Unperforated and naturally perforated shells were collected between 100 and 73 ka.
* previously unrecorded gastropod species was used as bead 70 ka.

The #RadicalAnthro team does not think the authors (d'Errico et al) are getting the relationship right between #MSA ochre #pigment use and beads. We very much doubt initial usage of #ochre was 'utilitarian' and subsequently became symbolic. Take a look at our thread on the #Dapschauskas paper on ochre as a ritual tradition here
https://c.im/@RadicalAnthro/109540854804414843

For us: the first art was body art, and the first body art was #menstrual

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248423001173