Thomas, this is my oldest man made item.
Proto coinage Western Zhou Civilisation 1046-770 BC.
Imitation cowrie shell made of deer bone 15mm x 25mm W 2.4 gms.
The farther away from the Indian Ocean the cruder the material, real shell; glazed ceramic; terracotta; clay; wood; bone.
The Levantine word for cowrie was porcolano, the Chinese efforts to copy the texture of the shell eventually led to porcelain manufacture.
Even today the Chinese character for cowrie and money are the same.
