Sperm whales in the Neolithic Mediterranean: a tooth from the sanctuary of Monte d'Accoddi (Sardinia, Italy)

The exceptional find of the tooth of a sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) at Monte d'Accoddi adds to the documentation on the possible presence, and exploitation by humans, of cetaceans in the prehistoric Mediterranean. The dating (3638–3378 BC) appears to make it the oldest cetacean find i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antiquity
Main Authors: Melis, Maria Grazia, Zedda, Marco
Other Authors: Università degli Studi di Sassari
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Antiquity Publications 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.115
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0003598X21001150
Description
Summary:The exceptional find of the tooth of a sperm whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) at Monte d'Accoddi adds to the documentation on the possible presence, and exploitation by humans, of cetaceans in the prehistoric Mediterranean. The dating (3638–3378 BC) appears to make it the oldest cetacean find in Sardinia.