What would you not expect to see pop up in ancient carvings across time, cultures and epochs? From the Sumerians of Iraq to the ruins of Turkish temples to the decorations of Maori of New Zealand and the crafts made by the Olmecs of Central America, one mysterious anomaly seems to show up time and time again – the purse, the handbag. Sometimes the image appears as a stand-alone object, sometimes in the hand of person, god of mythical being. But there they are –

again and again. Experts have been baffled, though there are theories, according to a report in Ancient Origins. “One possible theory for the proliferation of this image is its simple and straightforward representation of the cosmos,” says the report. “The semi-circle of the image (what would appear to be the bag’s strap) represents the hemisphere of the sky. READ MORE

 


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