13th century COWRY SHELLS

MALDIVES

The Maldives and Laccadive Islands supplied Cypraea moneta for most of the world’s trade until the 18th century. Cypraea moneta is the most important marine invertebrate in the Maldives from a historical point of view. The reason is not just their abundance there, but the Maldivians developed a simple and highly efficient means of collecting them.