turtle figurine

MAC GIR-014625

Object type turtle figurine

Culture/period

Materials pottery

Technique moulding

Mint

Production date -600 / -401

Seu Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Girona

Current location MASPG

Archaeological site Empúries

Township Escala, l' (Alt Empordà)

Dimensions 66 x 44 x 33 mm

Description

Terracotta figurine from Empúries (l'Escala, Alt Empordà) which represents a small turtle, 6.6 cm long and 4.4 high, made in a mould. It can be dated between the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Zoomorphic figures in contexts of Greek or Iberian sites are not unusual and Empúries is an example of this, as we find many examples of figurines representing animals such as wild boars, birds, dogs and bovids, among others. Terracotta figurines are generally related to funeral contexts; however, they have also been associated with domestic contexts. This figurine comes from the systematic plunder in Empúries until the first decades of the twentieth century, which especially affected the areas of necropolis located outside the wall, both Greek and Roman. We can therefore attribute this turtle to one of the Greek necropolises in the city. Others are known whose origin is well documented: Bonjoan's burial no. 43 and the so-called Cazurro tomb, in the Portitxol necropolis.

Omeka ID 3196