earplug

Jade ear ornamentsA pair of carved jade ear ornaments, by an unknown Mayan artist, 200–600 ce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. The adornments would have been inserted in a wearer's distended earlobe.

earplug, type of ear ornament usually inserted in pierced and distended earlobes. Earplugs were the direct forerunners of today’s pierced earrings.

The Ainu of northern Japan have used plugs of fabric; in the Americas, Mayan earplugs have been found made of thin jade, stone, bone, shell, wood, and metal in many sizes. The Berawan people of Borneo used plugs 3.75 inches (9.5 centimeters) in diameter, and the Maasai of East Africa have a stone earplug that is 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) in diameter and weighs 2 pounds 14 ounces (1.3 kilograms).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Alicja Zelazko.
Citation Information
Article Title: earplug
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 23 October 2025
Access Date: November 14, 2026