First evidence of hippopotamus ivory exchange networks in north-eastern Iberian Peninsula: The object of Bòbila Madurell (Barcelona, Spain)
This study examines a Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic ivory object (Véraza facies) found at the Bòbila Madurell settlement (Sant Quirze del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain). The main objective was to date the object and determine the provenance of the raw material. The radiocarbon analysis places it in the sec...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:319493 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/319493 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105375 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Ivory Trade Véraza Copper age Bòbila madurell NE Iberia Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy |
| Sumario: | This study examines a Late Neolithic-Chalcolithic ivory object (Véraza facies) found at the Bòbila Madurell settlement (Sant Quirze del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain). The main objective was to date the object and determine the provenance of the raw material. The radiocarbon analysis places it in the second quarter of the 3rd millennium BC. FTIR analysis identified it as hippopotamus ivory, marking the first and currently the oldest discovery in north-eastern Iberia. While most Iberian ivory is attributed to Asian or African proboscideans, hippopotamus ivory is known in southern Iberia during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, reflecting emerging trade networks from the Near East and Africa. Though the object is fractured, the archaeological context, together with morphological and residue analyses, suggests a possible use in textile work. |
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