0010 - Ivory

Ivory is usually abundant in Perdigões Chalcolithic tombs. Many and diversified objects were collected in the tholos type tomb 1 and tomb 2 and in the pits with secondary depositions of human cremated remains. But there, also fragments of tusks were recovered, showing that ivory raw material was also circulating and arriving to Perdigões and not just finished objects.
Some of this ivory was analyzed and the provenance is the African Bush Elephant  (Loxodonta africana).

This fragment of tusk is from Pit 40, a major feature with the deposition of human cremated remains, dated from the middle 3rd millennium BC.

For more information see publication here.

0006 - Birds of ivory (1)

In Perdigões there are several bird figurines collected in funerary contexts, namely in Tombs 1 and 2.
This is one of the best carved in ivory, from Tomb 2. It represents a bird with grate detail and in a very realistic or naturalistic way. Its length is about 3cm.

(Photo copyright J.P. Ruas)

For more informations about animal figurines at Perdigões see here.

0005 - Faces

Faces of anthropomorphic figurines made of ivory from Perdigões. Four of a minimum number of 16 figurines, associated to the human cremated remains in a pit located in the center of the enclosures. They are dated between 2600-2400 BC.

(Photo copyright A.C. Valera / M. Capela, Era Arqueologia)

For more information see here.

0004 - Ivory box

Decorated ivory box from Tomb 2. This is a typical decoration present in many boxes made of different (ivory, bone, limestone) materials that occur in the Southern half of Iberia. In Portugal, they are frequent in Estremadura. In Perdigões there are several exemplars from Tombs 1 and 2.

(Photo copyright A.C. Valera / Era Arqueologia).

For more information about Perdigões ivories see here.

0002 - Ivory lunulae

Ivory "lunulae" from tomb 2. Published in Valera, 2010 (Photo copyright A.C.Valera/Era Arqueologia)