When we think of the first farming communities of the Neolithic we often focus on the changes in the way that people were producing their food, the types of houses they were living in and the ways that they buried their dead. It is easy to forget that people during the Neolithic were individuals just like today. Occasionally the archaeological record does provide us with some insights into the way that people looked, and the beautiful things they created for pleasure and to demonstrate wealth and status. The most commonly surviving decorative objects are items of personal adornment, such as jewellery.

Body ornaments were often made from materials which were rare or had an unusual appearance. For example, the vibrant blue-green stone known as callaïs or variscite, or the soft grey stone known as schist. Callaïs was mined in Spain and travelled across Europe through trade and exchange networks, and is found as far north as Brittany.

Although Neolithic people left us no historic records telling us about the way their society was organised, we can assume that owning a necklace made of a valued material such as callaïs or schist meant that you were an important person with high status.