▁use ▁of ▁Sp ond yl us ▁in ▁grave ▁goods ▁appears ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁limited ▁to ▁women ▁and ▁children . ▁ ▁S . ▁cr ass is qu ama ▁is ▁found ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Colombia ▁and ▁E cuador ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁important ▁to ▁And e an ▁pe op les ▁since ▁pre - Col umb ian ▁times , ▁serving ▁as ▁both ▁an ▁offering ▁to ▁the ▁P ach am ama ▁and ▁as ▁currency . ▁In ▁fact , ▁much ▁like ▁in ▁Europe , ▁the ▁Sp ond yl us ▁shell s ▁also ▁reached ▁far ▁and ▁wide , ▁as ▁pre - H is pan ic ▁E cuador ian ▁pe op les ▁trad ed ▁them ▁with ▁pe op les ▁as ▁far ▁north ▁as ▁present - day ▁Mexico ▁and ▁as ▁far ▁south ▁as ▁the ▁central ▁And es . ▁The ▁Mo che ▁people ▁of ▁ancient ▁Peru ▁regarded ▁the ▁sea ▁and ▁animals ▁as ▁sacred ; ▁they ▁used ▁Sp ond yl us ▁shell s ▁in ▁their ▁art ▁and ▁dep icted ▁Sp ond yl us ▁in ▁eff ig y ▁p ots . ▁Sp ond yl us ▁were ▁also ▁har v ested ▁from ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁California ▁and ▁trad ed ▁to ▁tribes ▁through ▁Mexico ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁South west . ▁ ▁Even ▁today , ▁there ▁are ▁collect ors ▁of ▁Sp ond yl us ▁shell s , ▁and ▁a ▁commercial ▁market ▁exists ▁for ▁them . ▁Additionally , ▁some ▁species ▁( es pecially ▁S . ▁amer ican us ) ▁are ▁sometimes ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁salt water ▁aqu ari ums . ▁ ▁S . ▁lim b atus ▁was