Ancient Sumerian women's earrings are the earliest earrings archaeologists have discovered—they date from perhaps 2500 B.C.E. and are typically gold hoops. Earrings of twisted wire, beads, and pendants were popular in the Aegean, Crete, and Cyprus.
Some speculate that the tradition of Indian nose piercings began with the arrival of the Mughals from Central Asia in the 16th century. Others cite ancient Ayurvedic texts published between the 1st and 8th century BCE that suggest it has been around for much longer.