Elephant tusks

In the 1950s, thirteen elephant tusks, some bearing inscriptions in Phoenician characters, were discovered in Bajo de la Campana (San Javier, Murcia). These inscriptions have been interpreted as anthroponyms with courtesy formulas relating to aspects of social position and as property marks or, more recently, as votive inscriptions. This set of elephant tusks formed part of the cargo of the Phoenician shipwreck of Bajo de la Campana and it documents for the first time the maritime trade of this type of material in the Iberian Peninsula. This wreck is one of just five Phoenician wrecks documented in the Mediterranean, three in Spain (Mazarrón I, Mazarrón II and Bajo de la Campana) and two in Israel (Tanit and Elissa).Salto de línea From 2007 to 2011, under the direction of Mark E. Polzer and Juan Pinedo, the wreck was systematically prospected and excavated, leading to the discovery of fifty-three more tusks, increasing the number of elephant tusks preserved in the museum; of which ten have inscriptions and three have signs of destruction and linear motifs. The wreck is thought to have carried a cargo of about four tonnes, including raw materials and manufactured objects, highlighting the existence of commercial maritime networks, interaction with indigenous communities, the demand for products and the new tastes of the elites.Salto de línea