Researchers from the Prehistoric Studies and Research Seminar at the University of Barcelona have identified the oldest hippopotamus ivory object in the Iberian Peninsula, according to a UB report.
The ivory object was discovered at the Archaeological site of Bòbila Madurell, in Barcelona.
The discovery dates back to the second quarter of the third millennium BCE, specifically between 2500 BCE and 2250 BCE, during the Copper Age, a prehistoric period marked by the discovery and use of copper as the first metal for tool-making.
Archaeologists have identified the oldest hippopotamus ivory object in Iberia, found at Bòbila Madurell (Barcelona). Dating to c. 2500 BCE, it shows Copper Age communities were linked to long-distance trade networks reaching Africa and the Near East.https://t.co/iqQX5Ejt4E… pic.twitter.com/iRXvr1cwvk
— De Antiquis (@DAntiquis) September 26, 2025
During the Copper Age, hippopotamus ivory was not found in the Western Mediterranean, making this piece significant for studying long-distance exchange networks with the eastern coast of the sea.
The studied object was documented during previous excavations in 1977 and is housed in the Museum of History of Sabadell, in Barcelona.
In September 2025, UB researchers successfully identified the origin and age of the object, with the study’s findings published in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports.
The piece measures just over 10 centimeters in length by 13.2 millimeters in width and weighs 11 grams, featuring a polished surface and red pigment stains.
According to researchers, the hippopotamus ivory object may be a type of figurine or related to textiles, such as a weaving sword (a tool used to join fabric threads).
The likelihood that the object is a weaving sword is linked to the presence of two spindle whorls (tools for producing fabric threads) in the same structure where it was found.
