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Triton's trumpet from Siculi

Published on 15/04/2021 (last modified 15/04/2021)

 

The use of sea snails and shells as musical instruments has been recorded in many different cultures and through many different eras, from the Neolithic to modern-day societies. 

 

 

In the Museum of the Town of Kaštela's collection from the period of antiquity, under the inventory number 2826, a sea snail known as Triton's trumpet (Charonia Tritonis) is kept. The sea snail was found during archaeological excavations in Siculi in 2007,  in a hoard containing 54 coins which were hidden in the settlement around the end of the 4th or the beginning of the 5th century AD. It is 23 cm long, with the bottom of the helix that has been deliberately chiseled so that a person could blow in the shell's spindle-like body. Today, this species of sea snails are rarely found on the Adriatic's bottom due to overfishing, which is also why the mollusk is protected by law. 

 

              

 


The use of sea snails and shells as musical instruments has been recorded in many different cultures and through many different eras, from the Neolithic to modern-day societies. Ancient Greeks often used this type of sea snail as a trumpet to emit sound signals rather than as a musical instrument. The name Triton's trumpet is connected to the Greek god Triton, son of Poseidon and Amphitrite. He was usually depicted with a fishtail and a trumpet, which he could use to stir up waves or calm them down. The Triton's trumpet from Siculi is a rare example of a completely preserved ancient instrument, and it is on display as a permanent exhibit in the Vitturi Castle in Kaštel Lukšić.