The find of a whale barnacle, Cetopirus complanatus (Mörch, 1853), in 10th century deposits in the Netherlands

A specimen of Cetopirus complanatus dating from the 10th century A.D. is described from archaeological excavations at Tiel, the Netherlands. Two vertebral parts of northern right whales Eubalaena glacialis: a vertebral arch and an epiphysis, were also found, possibly dating from the same period. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Holthuis, L.B., Smeenk, C., Laarman, F.J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 1998
Subjects:
Cetopirus complanatus
Cirripedia
whale barnacles
The Netherlands
archaeological find
history
distribution
host species
Eubalaena
right whales
Eubalaena glacialis
northern right whale
North Atlantic
North Sea
whaling
42.74
Pacific
Online Access:http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/317559
http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/document/148845
Description
Summary:A specimen of Cetopirus complanatus dating from the 10th century A.D. is described from archaeological excavations at Tiel, the Netherlands. Two vertebral parts of northern right whales Eubalaena glacialis: a vertebral arch and an epiphysis, were also found, possibly dating from the same period. The disc-like epiphysis had been used as a cutting board. The specimens probably had reached Tiel through early trade in whale products. Cetopirus complanatus is only known from right whales of the genus Eubalaena. It has not been found in the Northern Hemisphere since the late 19th century. Its host species in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, E. glacialis, is now very rare as a result of whaling.

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