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Charles Zidar
ANCIENT MAYA ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH |
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| Family: | Strombidae | | Genus: | Strombus | | Species: | gigas | | Authority: | Linnaeus, 1758 | | Common Name: | Queen Conch | | Maya Name: | Juub | | Faunal Type: | Shell | | Depictions: | Shell/Bead/Polychrome Ceramics | | Significance: | The Old God can often be seen emerging from a conch shell. The symbol for the shell also represents zero in Maya iconography. Conch meat would have been eaten by the Maya. The shell was carved into beads for necklaces, bracelets and anklets. At Tikal, many such beads were found. The shells were prized for their use as trumpets. Widely represented animal in ancient Maya iconography. | | Photos: | Click on an image below for high resolution comparison. |
Other Faunal Photos: Additional views of the faunal species, click on a photo below to view larger image. |  | | Artifact Photo(s) Courtesy of Justin Kerr (FAMSI); Animal Photo(s) Courtesy of Wikipedia GNU General Public License Version 1.2, November 2002; Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0/2.5 License(s). |
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