Triton shell trumpets: the cultural heritage of the buccins through archaeology and music

This paper focuses on archaeological and ethnographic evidences of shells belonging to the class of gastropods transformed into wind instruments (also known as buccins). First, a few shells discovered in the caves of the Finalese area (Liguria, North-Western Italian Coast) illustrate the richness of the “triton” musically speaking. Then, evidences found along the coasts of the Pacific, and along the Eastern Mediterranean coast, dating back to the Pre-Columbian Moche culture and to the Bronze age respectively, point out gastropods reproduced in terracotta and stone, which may have essentially a symbolic value. Lastly, the cultural value of the conch trumpets is closely investigated with reference to the anthropologic connection between playing and acquisition of means of expression, and a few ethnographic instances.