Researchers at the University of Barcelona have uncovered extraordinary evidence of long-distance Mediterranean trade networks with the discovery of the oldest hippopotamus ivory artifact ever found in the Iberian Peninsula. The remarkable 5,000-year-old object, measuring just over 10 centimeters in length, was discovered at the Copper Age site of Bòbila Madurell near Barcelona and dates to the second quarter of the third millennium BC.
This groundbreaking find challenges previous understanding of ancient trade routes and suggests that prehistoric Iberian communities maintained sophisticated exchange networks extending far beyond the Mediterranean’s western shores. The polished ivory artifact, identified as a first lower incisor from Hippopotamus amphibius, bears traces of red pigment and may have served as a textile tool rather than a decorative object.
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The hippopotamus ivory object from northeastern Iberia. (University of Barcelona)