Rare whale tooth fossil reveals secrets of ancient Iberian people

A rare whale tooth unearthed at a Copper Age “mega village” in Spain has shed light on the artistry of Iberian people who lived in the Mediterranean region over 4,000 years ago.

The tooth, discovered at the Valencina archaeological site in southwest Spain in 2018, is the first such fossil dated to this period in Iberia.

According to a study published in PLOS One, the tooth was likely collected from an ancient shoreline and carefully worked on by Copper Age craftspeople.

The craftspeople, living in a coastal village 5,300 to 4,150 years ago, likely used the tooth to fashion personal ornaments or symbolically meaningful artefacts.

After it was worked on, the fossil was deliberately buried as indicated by further wear and tear and the hard crust covering its surface, the study noted.

The findings add to our understanding of the use of ivory to craft ornaments, musical instruments and sculptures since the Old Stone Age, which began almost 40,000 years ago.

Ivory’s striking appearance, durability, and strength made it an integral part of trade and sociocultural activities of ancient societies.

However, much of what we know about the use of ivory in prehistoric times is based only on examining ivory sourced from terrestrial animals like elephants, hippos, deer and bears.

While previous research underlines elephant ivory use in Old Stone Age and Copper Age societies of southern Spain, little is known about the significance of the material from marine mammals.

The whale tooth from Valencina, measuring 17cm tall and 7cm wide and weighing over 0.5kg, provides a unique glimpse into the past.

Analysis of the fossil revealed it came from an adult sperm whale and showed evidence of erosion from worms and barnacles as well as suspected shark bites, indicating it spent time on the seafloor.

Researchers also identified signs of human activity on the tooth, like drilled holes and distinct cut marks that could not have occurred naturally.

These observations prompted researchers to conclude that the whale likely died of natural causes, following which its body sank to the seafloor and one of its teeth washed ashore before it was found and used by ancient Iberians.

“Although no ivory artefact has yet been diagnosed as coming from a sperm whale tooth, recent finds of ivory of marine origin in European archaeological contexts have brought a new focus to the study of the use of marine resources by prehistoric societies,” the study said.