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The occurrence of tortoiseshell on a pre-Hispanic Maya mosaic mask
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 January 2015
Extract
The Dumbarton Oaks Maya mosaic mask is shown to have included tortoiseshell on an earlobe—remarkable since this is the only demonstrated use of this material in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. The authors present diagnostic evidence for the presence of tortoiseshell, account for its absence in pre-Hispanic artefacts because of decay, and propose its use (in the mask) as being symbolic of the ocean.
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- Research article
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- Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2012
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Both authors contributed equally to this work.
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