Bead
During the last century in the western hemisphere, the wearing of beads has become the prerogative of woman. Yet throughout history, men have worn great quantities of beads to show their masculinity and virility. As early as 5000 BC men and women alike valued wearing strands of shell, stone, teeth and bone beads. Faience and Carnelian beads found in an Egyptian tomb date back to 4000 BC. Phoenician trade ships carried beads to and from Egypt as early as 2500 BC so it is impossible to know for sure how long beads were really in circulation. The graves of Egypt reveal the development of the craft of bead making better the those of other civilizations due to the trade routes established in continental Europe. From 3000-1900 BC, the Amber Routes ran from Moravia, France and Austria to Russia, England and Spain. Ancient trade routes went to the Far East as well as Africa.