Strengths and constraints in ivory provenance research: La Beleña (Córdoba, Spain) as a case study

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• ZooMS successfully identified all ivory samples as African elephant (Loxodonta) and corrected prior morphological misidentifications, demonstrating superior performance over traditional methods.
• FTIR spectroscopy and ancient DNA extraction showed limited discriminatory capacity for ivory provenance determination in this assemblage.
• Morphological criteria alone prove unreliable for distinguishing ivory from bone or identifying species origin in highly fragmented archaeological contexts.

Overview

This multidisciplinary analysis assessed the effectiveness of methods for identifying ivory provenance in prehistoric assemblages. The study examined 119 osseous and ivory fragments from the necropolis of La Beleña, Spain, dated to the second half of the 4th millennium and early 3rd millennium BC. Researchers combined traditional morphological examination with biomolecular techniques including ZooMS, FTIR, and aDNA extraction to evaluate current identification protocols.

Methods and approach

The analysis integrated macroscopic and microscopic examination with three biomolecular approaches. ZooMS identified peptide signatures characteristic of ivory and elephant species. FTIR spectroscopy assessed chemical compositional differences between ivory and bone materials. Ancient DNA extraction attempted to retrieve endogenous genetic material from the osseous samples. Technological analysis examined exploitation strategies and manufacturing marks on worked items.

Results

ZooMS successfully identified all ivory samples as deriving from African elephants (Loxodonta), correcting several prior morphological misidentifications. This technique demonstrated superior discriminatory capacity compared to other methods tested. FTIR analysis showed limited ability to distinguish ivory from bone or to differentiate between elephantid species, indicating substantial constraints in this approach. Ancient DNA extraction yielded insufficient endogenous material for meaningful analysis across the assemblage.

Morphological analysis alone proved unreliable for raw material identification in highly fragmented contexts, establishing a significant methodological problem in existing protocols. Technological examination revealed both transverse and longitudinal tusk exploitation patterns. Manufacturing evidence suggests use of copper saws and bending techniques. Ivory objects were deposited as decorated finished goods, consistent with funerary practices documented at other Iberian Chalcolithic sites, indicating systematic curation and symbolic investment in these materials.

Implications

The findings demonstrate that current protocols for ivory identification require substantial revision. Morphological methods alone cannot reliably distinguish ivory from bone or identify species origin in fragmented assemblages. Expansion of open-access reference databases and standardization of biomolecular procedures would strengthen comparative analysis across prehistoric contexts.

ZooMS emerges as the most reliable technique for provenance determination among tested methods, enabling confident identification of African elephant sources in prehistoric exchange systems. Integration of proteomics and other biomolecular approaches offers more robust pathways for tracing long-distance exchange networks. The study underscores the necessity of multimethodological assessment in ivory research, particularly for contexts where fragmentation and taphonomic alteration compromise morphological analysis.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.