Zoomorphic “bells” from Uruguay: first traceability attempt

Abstract

Since the first publications on zoomorphic “bells” in Uruguay, from the 1930s to the present, the available information is fragmented, incomplete, and even inconsistent in some cases. Furthermore, the location of some of these pieces is currently unknown, as they have belonged to private collections whose trajectories have not been publicly known. On several occasions, they have been subjected to both the legal and illegal market system. In this context, we present a first traceability record that systematizes the existing information, researches the life histories of the objects once recovered, and provides tools for heritage management. This record aims to assist competent institutions and researchers. We present here a first stage that includes 27 pieces, some of which are published for the first time. A summary of these life histories helps visualize some problems related to the formation processes of archaeological collections and their trajectories, the difficulties in their study, and the lack of updated legislation on the protection of archaeological heritage at the national level. This paper also identifies an epicenter of the distribution of this cultural element located in the Sauce-Artilleros area, Colonia, which concentrates 46% of the most complete pieces known so far in Uruguay.