REDISH AND FAR AWAY VALUABLE: THE Spondylus prínceps IN THE ANCIENT CITY OF TAMTOC

Summary

The ancient city of Tamtoc developed in the Huastec región between 400 B.C and the early XVIth century A.C. A great amount of shell objects have been found here, some of them made of freshwater mussels that live in the nearby rivers, while other are made of marine species from the relatively close Gulf of Mexico. Some pieces, nevertheless were made of species from the far way Pacific coast, one of which is the bivalve Spondylus prínceps. In this paper, the results of the analyses made to the objects made of this shell will be presented. They include the study of their manufacturing techniques and their archaeological contexts of finding. On this basis aspects as the origin of their manufactures and their role as luxury items will be discussed.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Origin and Development of the Precolumbian City of Tamtoc, in the Huasteca Potosina, Mexico: Recent Investigations

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 13218