Su alcuni manufatti noti come “plettri o pettini votivi” rinvenuti nel Mediterraneo centro-occidentale

Some bone and ivory “hourglass”-shaped finds have been found in the central-western Mediterranean area since the second half of the 19th century. These have two rows of teeth separated by a central portion with a hole in almost all cases and two appendices at either end. These objects come in most cases from funerary contexts of Carthage (3rd-2nd century BC), Tharros, Tuvixeddu and Ibiza. These artefacts have been interpreted as butterfly, winged scarab, plectrum or miniature comb-shaped amulets due to their resemblance to the larger ones. Considering the morphological characters of the finds, this paper intends to propose some alternative readings referable to representations linked to specific daily life activities or personal care.