25 diverse Sahara Neolithic beads, mostly larger

This is a group of  25 mostly larger Sahara Neolithic beads found deep in the Sahara desert in the region of northern Mauritania (south-western Sahara desert).

These beads are mixed in size, but mostly nice colorful medium-to-larger sized specimens. They range from approximately 3/8th inch (9 mm) to 1 1/4th inch diameter (32 mm). The average will be approximately 1/2 inch (12 mm). The lithic materials are of  carnelian, quartz, flint, jasper, granite, and other unknown to me beautiful lithics.  All of the beads were hand-picked for being larger, attractive, colorful beads with good Neolithic bi-conical drilling.  The largest bead is of a fossil sea urchin which lived in the sea on what became the Sahara desert million of years after its death and fosillization. Thousands of years ago a Neolithic hunter/gatherer picked it up and made a decorative bead/pendant of the attractive, easily drilled stone.  These beads are getting harder to  acquire in this size and condition, they are very much sought after. 

Ancient beads are interesting in several ways. They were one of the first results of abstract thinking (thinking beyond survival strategies) dating back prior to 40,000 years BP; the Neanderthals even produced and used them.  Beads were used extensively  in trade, being all but an ancient form of currency. A neat thing about them is that even after thousands of years they possess their original beauty and can still be incorporated into modern jewelry. These were lost or discarded by our New Stone Age hunter gatherer ancestors a good 3,000+ years ago.