Geographical Distribution of the Shell-Purple Industry, 13 
Testaceo, behind the Alcantarine Convent at Tarento, 
consisting chiefly of the shells of A/urex branderzs.” 
The purple of the Adriatic port of Ancona is cited by 
Silius Italicus. Dalmatia, Istria, Venetia and Sicily, Baiz 
and Aquinum on the west coast of Italy, were also centres 
of the industry in Roman times.” Fischer, in his “ Manuel 
de Conchyliologie,” * refers to the discovery at Pompeii of 
heaps of Purpura in the neighbourhood of many dyeworks. 
Liguria provides us with interesting evidence of an 
early search for purple. In two caves in this region, the 
cave of Pollera and Caverna delle Arene Candide, both 
said to be of Neolithic age, Don Morelli found the broken 
shells of Purpura hemastoma. Mosso,” in referring to 
these discoveries, overlooks their true significance, and 
states that this mollusc has never been found in Italy, but 
is very common along the West African shore, On this 
account he suggests that the cave shells represent objects 
brought by early mariners returning from Africa as votive 
offerings for escape from the dangers of the sea. Regard- 
ing the distribution of the species in question, Mosso is 
somewhat at fault ; it is very widely distributed in the 
Mediterranean, occurring on the coasts of Provence, 
Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and elsewhere. There is no 
reason, therefore, to assume that the cave shells came from 
any great distance. That they had been collected locally 
for the extraction of the purple dye seems evident from 
their broken condition, and in this connection it is. of 
interest also to note that in the same caves 7yzton shells 
were found which had every appearance of having been 
4° Lovell, ‘* Edible British Molusca.” 1884, p. 205, quoting Aufrere’s 
““ravels.” 
BING BeSMiel yp. carp) 7775. 
SSS 7460p say 
+9 Mosso, ** Dawn of Mediterranean Civilisation,” 1910, p. 269. 
