Shell Discs from First Millennium BCE Iran

Marine shells are one type of material culture found in archaeological excavations at many sites in the Iranian plateau. The shells come from open waters according to their biological origin and can be caught in certain coastal areas, but have also been found in distant locations. This indicates that they were traded over long distances, sometimes many hundreds of kilometres, and it seems that a special attitude towards these shells was related to aesthetics or religious/magical beliefs. Based on this, the main aim of this chapter is to explore the possible stimulus behind the transfer of shells from the area of origin to the place of consumption and deposition.