Shellfish consumption in the Early Upper Palaeolithic on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula: The example of Foradada Cave

Abstract

Foradada Cave is an archaeological site located in the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula (Xàbia, Spain). Marine molluscs have been recovered in the Early Upper Paleolithic archaeological levels (VI, V and II) of the site. This assemblage is composed by a high diversity of marine taxa, however the majority of them are represented by few individuals (in many cases, just one). The presence of different species from rocky shores and sandy/gravel shores has been documented, but the most important species are mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819), limpets (Patella spp. Linnaeus, 1758) and top snails (Phorcus spp. Risso, 1826). The three taxa were consumed as food. In the same levels (V and II) some shell ornaments have been recovered as well. This study shows that the consumption of marine resources (used for diverse purposes) is usual since very ancient chronologies, and they must be considered to reconstruct the diet, the economy and the social organization of hunter-gatherer societies in the Early Upper Paleolithic and especially in the Aurignacian.