A seventeenth-century beetle fauna from colonial Boston

Abstract

A rich, diverse assemblage of preserved Coleopteran (beetle) remains was analyzed from the Feature 4 Cross Street Back Lot site in Boston, Massachusetts. This fauna represents the first large analysis of a Colonial site using the technique of archaeoentomology, resulting in the examination of over 2,000 individuals from 22 samples. The remains indicate that a rich composting environment existed in this feature which was composed of human and animal wastes, infested grain products, table wastes, and perhaps floor sweepings. From a biogeographic perspective, this study suggests that many European pest species were already established in New England by the 17th century, substantially altering our knowledge of their introductions.