 Ear piercing has been practiced all over the world since ancient times . There is considerable written and archaeological evidence of the practice . Mummified bodies with pierced ears have been discovered , including the oldest mummified body discovered to date , the 5 @,@ 300 @-@ year @-@ old Ötzi the Iceman , which was found in a glacier in Austria . This mummy had an ear piercing 7 – 11 mm diameter . The oldest earrings found in a grave date to 2500 BCE . These were located in the Sumerian city of Ur , home of the Biblical patriarch Abraham . Earrings are mentioned in the Bible . In Genesis 35 : 4 , Jacob buries the earrings worn by members of his household along with their idols . In Exodus 32 , Aaron makes the golden calf from melted earrings . Deuteronomy 15 : 12 – 17 dictates ear piercing for a slave who chooses not to be freed . Earrings are also referenced in connection to the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in the Vedas . Earrings for pierced ears were found in a grave in the Ukok region between Russia and China dated between 400 and 300 BCE . 
