Work

The earliest evidence of large animal fossil collecting in mainland Greece at Bronze Age Mycenae

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Fossils of large animals have long influenced social practices and ideologies in human societies, including the fantastic myths of giants, heroes, and gods in ancient Greece. It has been estimated that purposeful fossil collecting in Greece began in the Late Bronze Age. However, previous archaeological finds of fossils from mainland Greece were not well documented in secure contexts that dated this far back in time. Herein, we present a newly recognized fossilized astragalus bone recently found in the legacy collections of the archaeological site of Mycenae. It was originally recovered by excavations in the 1970s and recently reanalyzed at the Mycenae Museum. Our analysis explored the available evidence of the find location, the state of fossil preservation, and the species represented. The results suggest that a fossilized rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus) astragalus was collected in the past, possibly from afar. Evidence indicates it was brought to Mycenae, where it was deposited near an interesting array of artifacts in a basement storage area of the Southwest Quarter, sometime in the thirteenth century BCE. This find represents the earliest secure evidence of large animal fossil use by people in mainland Greece, dating to the Late Bronze Age.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68778-w

Authors: Jacqueline S. Meier, Vassiliki Pliatsika, Kim Shelton

Institutions: University of North Florida, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,590

Funder: Archaeological Institute of America