Shell with Hematite

Small to medium sized Glycymeris shell with a thick layer of hematite covering the interior, extending up inside the beak of the shell. The pigment is significantly thinner along the shell's margins. A small perforation has been ground into the tip of the beak and hematite is evident around the edges of this perforation as well as along the shell's hinge teeth. The back of the shell is smooth, even, and retains scattered traces of red pigment. This specimen was recovered from the platform mound at the site of Pueblo Grande. Pueblo Grande was a large village located at the headgates of a major canal system. Occupied as early as AD 500, the site reached its greatest extent during the Classic Period. Museum Accession: 1992.19