BARCELONA, SPAIN—According to a statement released by the University of Barcelona, researchers identified the oldest known hippopotamus ivory object on the Iberian Peninsula. The four-inch-long artifact was first discovered in the 1970s at the site of Bobila Madurell outside of Barcelona, but its age, use, and even its material were a mystery until now. Researchers recently used cutting-edge technology to determine that the object was carved from the first lower incisor of Hippopotamus amphibius and dates to between 2750 and 2500 b.c. African and Asian elephant ivory had already come to parts of southern Iberia through exchange routes originating in North Africa. Scholars believe that the presence of this rare hippopotamus ivory object offers new information about long-distance trade networks that connected the northeast of the peninsula with other parts of the Mediterranean during the Copper Age. However, the researchers are still unsure exactly what the object is. They propose the piece may be some kind of stylized human figurine or idol, or perhaps a piece of weaving paraphernalia associated with textile production. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. To read about hippopotamus ivory and other exotic objects found at a hub of the ancient copper trade on Cyprus, go to "In the Time of the Copper Kings."
