Welcome to Silver Serendipity, where each and every piece of sterling silver jewellery is handcrafted by Ruth Mears in the Lymden Valley Studio, situated in the beautiful countryside of
East Sussex.
Silver Serendipity brings to life objects from our past to the present day.
The Star Carr Pendant
From shale to silver
At the start of the Mesolithic period, 11,000 years ago, an engraved shale pendant was deposited in the shallow waters of a lake. Having laid in peat for all those millennia, in 2015 the pendant was discovered by archaeologists excavating the mysterious site of Star Carr. This pendant is unique: although other Mesolithic shale beads have been discovered, none have been found with engravings. In fact, this is the oldest known Mesolithic art in Britain.
The markings consist of a series of parallel lines with a number of very small lines drawn at right angles from them - so small and faint they are barely visible with the naked eye. No one knows what these markings mean - do they represent a map, the lines on the palm of a hand, river channels, a tree or a leaf? Everyone who sees it has a different idea. We will probably never find out, but my preferred view is that the groupings of lines may have been used as some form of communication or tally lines for counting.
We will also never know who wore the pendant and why it was found in what would have been a lake at that time. Maybe it could have been an amulet used by shamans as it was found close to a large collection of red deer antler headdresses, also interpreted to have been used by shamans. Maybe it was deposited in the lake intentionally along with the many other artefacts also found there, possibly marking an important event at that time.
Whenever I see the shale pendant on display at York Museum, I am always in awe at how someone created those engravings 11,000 years ago. This beautiful handmade silver pendant replicates that fine detail and delicateness. Wearing it makes me think about our ancestors 11,000 years ago and the possible stories behind this rare and remarkable object.
Words and Video provided by Prof. Nicky Milner at York University.
The shale pendant is on display at the Yorkshire Museum, York.
