Some of the world's oldest jewelry found in Algeria

Science, BBC, EurekAlert: Scientists date shell jewelry from Oued Djebbana at between 35,000 and 90,000 years old, dating to the middle Paleolithic. The perforated shells were probably used in a necklace or bracelet. The shells are of a marine species, Nassarius gibulosus, but were found more than 200 km from the sea, suggesting the existence of long-distance trade networks, perhaps comparable to those of pre-colonial Australia.

Update: Or were they quite simply money?