World's smallest paleolithic ornamental beads unearthed

YINCHUAN - Chinese archaeologists have unearthed the world's smallest paleolithic ornamental beads, in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. The beads, made of a kind of eggshell, which are 1.26 millimeters in diameter, were discovered at an ancient site from the late Pleistocene dating between 8,000 and 12,000 years ago in Qingtongxia city.

Three beads were discovered at the same time, archaeologists say.

The excavation was jointly conducted by the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and the cultural relics administration of Qingtongxia from May to August.