From Charleston to St. Augustine: Changes in the central Georgia Bight (USA) fishery, CE 1565–1900

Abstract

Fish remains from archaeological sites provide insights into the impact of long-term use on a local fishery prior to the 20th century. The zooarchaeological record from CE 1565–1900 shows that fishing at towns, forts, and missions was an important economic activity in the central Georgia Bight (USA). Cartilaginous and bony fishes constitute a third of the vertebrate taxa and half of the vertebrate individuals (MNI) in 19 coastal assemblages. Most of these fish are from inshore, estuarine locales. The average mean trophic level of this fishery is moderately high (TL = 3.4). This TL persisted from 1565 into the 19th century, occasionally approaching or exceeding levels above 3.5. The fishery began to show signs of overuse during the 19th century, a trend continuing into the 20th century. This study demonstrates the importance of archaeological data toward identifying long-term trajectories in regional fisheries.