Marine Goods in European Prehistory: A New Shell in Old Collection
Jan. 1, 2006
Keywords:
Late Neolithic
marine shell collection
Vinca
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Abstract
The exchange of marine goods in the interior of the European
continent is traditionally equated with the exchange of Spondylus shell
items. In this long-lasting exchange network, significant role of any other
mollusks has not been identified so far. Contrary to this evidence, in the
Neolithic settlements of the Aegean and the Adriatic regions, where, it is
believed, Spondylus had been imported from, many other shells were used
for manufacturing adornment. Is it possible that shell diversity in the
Balkan coastal area is somehow reflected on the interior of the continent? In
this paper, credibility of this question is assessed through a study of shell-made
items from the side of Vinca in the vicinity of Belgrade, Serbia.
