Shell middens as archives of past environments, human dispersal and specialized resource management

Abstract

From Worsaae’s pioneering research onwards, shell middens have been a focus of interest in archaeological enquiry, and a great deal of innovative research has been carried out. The aim of this paper is to make a general review of the state of art in shell midden research, taking into account three main areas: a) the study of aquatic resource exploitation; b) the antiquity of shell middens in relation to human dispersal and group diversification; and c) the methodological improvement enhanced by shell midden enquiry. The record preserved in shell middens is particularly valuable for the development of interdisciplinary approaches in investigating human–environment interaction, social relations and the role of aquatic resource exploitation in the evolutive trajectory of human groups.