6000-Year-Old Conch Shells: Stone Age's Lost Communication Technology Revealed
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News18•14-01-2026, 22:07
6000-Year-Old Conch Shells: Stone Age's Lost Communication Technology Revealed
- •Spanish archaeologists discovered 6000-year-old conch shells in Catalonia, Spain, used for long-distance communication in the Stone Age.
- •These giant shells, made from 'Charonia lampas' sea snails, can still produce sounds over 100 decibels, with the best-preserved one reaching 111.5 decibels.
- •Ancient artisans created a special 20mm mouthpiece on the shells, indicating they were chosen for sound, not food, and some could produce three musically precise notes.
- •Found across a 10 km area in fields, caves, and underground mines, these shells were vital for communication in difficult terrains and potentially for safety signals.
- •The technology mysteriously disappeared around 3600 BCE, with no evidence found in later Bronze Age levels, leaving scientists puzzled about its sudden cessation.
Why It Matters: Ancient conch shells reveal a sophisticated, high-decibel Stone Age communication system that mysteriously vanished.
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