(ii-ognr/^/i!iiiI Disii ibntion of ihc Shell- Tiirplc Iiuliistrv. 2~ 



small ; to one of the latter, which was enveloped in mat- 

 tin;^, the reddish hair was adhering^." 



It is sut^<;ested by Adams, and b\' H. \\. I'restcn who 

 identified the various shells, that the Purpura were the 

 refuse of food, the shells haviuL;" probabl\- been split open 

 to obtain the animal whole. The breaking of the Purpura, 

 h(T\ve\-er, seems to me to possess a greater significance. 



Judging from the (Kcurrence in the Old World of 

 similar heaj^s of shells broken in the same peculiar manner 

 in order to obtain the [>ur[)le product, it is not at all 

 unreasonable to assume that here we have an indication 

 that the Incas were cognizant of the art of purple dyeing 

 bv means of shell-fish. This discovei'y, thercR^re, is most 

 valuable, as it at once disposes of an\- further doubt 

 concerning the precolumbian use of shell-fish for dyeing 

 purposes, and, moreover, provides us with interesting 

 information as to the precise source of the purple colour 

 in the beautifully preserved textiles of Peru. 



As alrcad}' pointed out, this })urple industry is closely 

 asscjciated, both in the Old and in the New World, with 

 the appreciation of pearls and the use of the artificially 

 devised conch-shell trumpet. Each of these cultural 

 elements had their origin in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

 Stations fcjr the purple industr}-, as we have .seen, were 

 established by the earl\- Mctliterranean mariners in several 

 places in the Old World. In addition, we find that an 

 intimate relationship existed between this art and skill in 

 weaving, as well as the mining, working and traffick'ing in 

 metals, such as gold, silver and copper. 



in the New World the purple industr}- is ass(.'ciatecl 

 with similar pursuits. 



-As Mrs. Nuttall points out, "we find that, in pre- 

 Columbian times, the Zapotecs, whose descendants still 

 use the purpura, were famed as miners, as workers in 



