The name "dolphin" comes from the Greek word delphys, meaning womb. In ancient Greece, the term applied to all dolphins, as they made no distiction between different species. In fact, one species of fish (Coryphaena hippurus, now known as the dolphin fish, the mahi-mahi, or the dorado, was also called a dolphin by the Greeks, further adding to the confusion. In ancient times, the common dolphin was considered the most pure representative of the dolphin family, appearing on cups, coins, and friezes. Only relatively recently has the species been recognised as individual rather than an all- purpose "dolphin" classification. There have been thousands of years of confusion over what does and does not constitute a dolphin, and over what the different species of dolphin are. - (X.0644)

Antiquities
Ancient Jewelry