Santander, February 19th-22nd 2008 - Aranzadi

MUNIBE(Suplemento/Gehigarria) - nº nº 3100 156-167 000-000 DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN 2010 2003 D.L. ISSN SS-1055-2010
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Archaeomalacological Data from the Bronze
Age Industrial Complex of Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Cyprus).
A Non-dietary Mollusc Exploitation Case
Datos arqueomalacológicos del Complejo Industrial de la Edad de Bronce de
Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Chipre): un caso de explotación de moluscos sin interés alimenticio
KEY WORDS: Cyprus, Bronze Age, Shells, Ornaments, Beads.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Chipre, Edad de Bronce, Conchas, ornamentos, objetos de adorno-colgantes
GAKO-HITZAK: Zipre, Brontze Aroa, Maskorrak, apaingarriak, apaingarri-zintzilikariak
Alfredo CARANNANTE (1)
ABSTRACT
Several shells come from the Early and Middle Bronze Age industrial complex of Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Cyprus). Here, metallurgical and textile
industrial activities are well documented together with oil, perfume and wine production but no food processing or food consumption is attested.
Archaeomalacological analysis confirms that the area excavated to date was only used for industry but not for housing. Most of the shells
are ascribable to an ornamental use and/or to an apotropaic value. Archaeomalacological analyses in Pyrgos revealed that the cultural world of
Pyrgos had deep roots in the prehistoric Cypriot tradition and was part of a strongly characterized culture, although some shell remains testify
contacts with far countries.
RESUMEN
En el Complejo Industrial de la Edad de Bronce (fases antigua y media) de Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Chipre) se han clasificado varias conchas.
En este sitio se han documentado bien actividades industriales junto con la producción de aceite, perfumes y vino, pero no el procesado y el
consumo de alimentos. Hasta el momento, los estudios arqueomalacológicos confirman que el área excavada sólo fue usada para la industria
y no como lugar de hábitat. La presencia de la mayor parte de las conchas es interpretada como de uso ornamental y/o apotropaico. Estos
análisis también revelan que el mundo cultural de Pyrgos estaba muy enraizado en la Chipre prehistórica y que formaban parte de una cultura
fuertemente caracterizada, a pesar de que algunas de las conchas nos indican la existencia de contactos con países lejanos.
LABURPENA
Brontze Aroko (Behe eta Erdi Brontze Aroa) Pyrgos-Mavroraki (Zipre) Konplexu Industrialean, zenbait maskor dokumentatu dira. Leku
horretan, jarduera industrialez gain, olioaren, lurrinen eta ardoaren ekoizpena dokumentatu dira, baina ez elikagaien prozesaturik ez kontsumorik.
Gaur arte, ikerketa arkeomalakologikoek berretsi dute indusketa egindako eremua industriarako soilik erabili zela, eta ez bizileku
gisa. Maskor gehienen erabilera apaingarri gisa edo/eta apotropaiko gisa interpretatu da. Gainera, analisiek erakusten dute Pyrgoseko kulturak
erro sakonak dituela historiaurreko Zipren eta izaera handiko kultura osatzen zuela, maskor batzuek urruneko herrialdeekiko harremanak
adierazten dituzten arren.
1. INTRODUCTION
The archaeological research of the last decades
is showing the complexity of the prehistoric
Cypriot world. Bioarchaeological analyses on the
remains from recently discovered sites are furnishing
important information about the relationship
between ancient human populations and their
ecosystem. Several papers report archaeomalacological
data from prehistoric Cypriot sites (for a
synthetic review, see: Reese 1985, 1996, 2003).
Many of them (e.g. Reese 1983, 1996, 2003)
analyze for each species the probable use of the
mollusc and/or of its shell. Those papers generally
report also a list of the rooms where archaeomalacological
remains were found. Nevertheless, none
of the archaeomalacological reports contextualizes
in detail the archaeomalacological datum so
far. Such a detailed contextualization has been
possible in the site of Pyrgos-Mavroraki thanks to
the close cooperation between the excavators and
the archaeozoologists. In this site it has been possible
to relate the shell remains with the archaeological
contexts where they were discovered. The
association between the shell remains and the
other archaeological findings provides useful data
that otherwise could lie unexpressed.
(1)
Suor Orsola Benincasa, University of Naples. Via S. Caterina da Siena 37, Naples, Italy (alcarann@yahoo.it).