Rare 2,000-year-old pearl found in Australia

A natural sea pearl unearthed at an Australian archaeological site in 2011 dates back 2,000 years.

A 2,000-year-old rose gold pearl. Photo: Discovery

The 5mm round, rose gold pearl was found off the coast of Kimberley, Western Australia. It took archaeologists at the University of Wollongong four years to analyze and date it, using micro-tomography technology to avoid damaging the pearl.

“Natural pearls are very rare,” said Szabo, a mollusk shell expert at the University of Wollongong. “We have never found natural pearls in Australia.”

Because natural pearls are not usually round and the pearl was found near Australia's pearl-growing center, scientists had to prove it was natural. It is not yet clear whether the pearl's rose-gold color is original or due to being buried for a long time.

The oyster that produces this pearl is often used in rain-making ceremonies in Aboriginal culture, and its shells have been found in desert regions more than 1,500 km from the coast.

Scientists still don’t know when these rain-making ceremonies took place. Dating the pearl could help them learn more about its historical context, Discovery reported. The pearl will be displayed at the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Perth later this month.

According to VnExpress