WHALE BONES AND SHELL PURPLE‐DYE AT MOTYA (WESTERN SICILY, ITALY)
Summary. Excavations 30 years ago at sixth–fifth century BC Motya in western Sicily produced a unique assemblage of four Sperm whale vertebrae, crushed purple‐dye shells, and stone tools. The whale vertebrae were the platforms for breaking the shells. Here I discuss recent sightings of Sperm whales...
| Published in: | Oxford Journal of Archaeology |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2005
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0092.2005.00227.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1468-0092.2005.00227.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1468-0092.2005.00227.x |
| Summary: | Summary. Excavations 30 years ago at sixth–fifth century BC Motya in western Sicily produced a unique assemblage of four Sperm whale vertebrae, crushed purple‐dye shells, and stone tools. The whale vertebrae were the platforms for breaking the shells. Here I discuss recent sightings of Sperm whales in the Mediterranean, the archaeological evidence for whaling in the Mediterranean, and possible whale products available, as well as Italian shell purple‐dye evidence. |
|---|