Nassaria and cowry shells seem to have been very special as 'money'
symbols from Blombos Cave (@70,000 years ago)to now.

For example, the Ekari (an inland tribe of Irian Jaya/New Guinea) almost
worshipped them as symbols of wealth. They couldn't pick them up
themselves, but had to rely on other tribes for supply.

When the Dutch colonised West New Guinea, the shell supply grew rapidly,
and caused inflation. The Ekari just sat back and refused the 'new ones'.

So why have Nassaria and cowries, specifically, been a symbol of wealth
over such a very long time?

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