Shell Middens Research Articles

The microstratigraphic record of human activities and formation processes at the Mesolithic shell midden of Poças de São Bento (Sado Valley, Portugal)

Shell midden formation is largely controlled by anthropogenic processes, resulting from human exploitation of aquatic resources. This makes shell middens archives of both human behaviour and palaeoenvironmental records. However, their often complex stratigraphy hampers the isolation of individual anthropogenic events. In the central/southern coast of Portugal, extensive inland estuaries were preferential settings for Mesolithic groups from c. 6200 cal BC. Here, we present a microstratigraphic approach to the shell midden of Pocas de Sao Bento, one of the largest and best-known sites in the Sado Valley. The microfacies approach was based on sedimentary components, their abundance and arrangement, and post-depositional processes. Anthropogenic processes identified as tossing events and anthropogenically reworked deposits allowed inferences on spatial organisation, preferential refuse areas, occupational surfaces, and temporality of the occupations. The presence of calcareous pebbles in the anthropogenic, shell-rich sediments, together with foraminifera, presumably from the estuarine marshes, is compared with the regional geology, providing a hypothetical location of the shellfish gathering. The microstratigraphy described reveals a full internal dynamic in the formation of the apparently homogeneous shell midden layer. The human activities inferred at Pocas de Sao Bento have many similarities with those reported for Cabeco da Amoreira in the nearby Tagus palaeo-estuary. This evidence points to the need for further micromorphological approaches in similar deposits. The study of shell midden formation processes, through integrative microcontextual approaches, plays a major role in understanding Mesolithic societies in the large early Holocene estuary environments of Atlantic Iberia.

THE LARGE VERTEBRATE REMAINS FROM BINJAI TAMIENG (SUMATRA, INDONESIA)

Excavations in 1928 at the Binjai Tamieng shell midden in Northeast Sumatra brought to light a small assemblage of animal- and human remains that has never been studied in detail. The analysis of these Early Holocene finds suggests that besides mollusks and fish, a number of larger vertebrates played a role in the palaeoeconomy of the site. The composition of Binjai Tamieng has a somewhat similar signature to sites from Southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. Testudine and artiodactyl remains are predominant in the vertebrate assemblage, while other species such as crocodile and a small cetacean were probably opportunistically hunted or scavenged. Animal bone was probably also used for the manufacturing of tools. Javan- and possibly Sumatran rhinoceros are present on the site. A number of human remains show traces of disarticulation and may be indicative of complex funerary rituals or cannibalism.

Prehistoric cooking versus accurate palaeotemperature records in shell\xa0midden constituents

The reconstruction of pre-depositional cooking treatments used by prehistoric coastal populations for processing aquatic faunal resources is often difficult in archaeological shell midden assemblages. Besides limiting our knowledge of various social, cultural, economic and technological aspects of shell midden formation, unknown pre-depositional cooking techniques can also introduce large errors in palaeoclimate reconstructions as they can considerably alter the geochemical proxy signatures in calcareous skeletal structures such as bivalve shells or fish otoliths. Based on experimental and archaeological data, we show that carbonate clumped-isotope thermometry can be used to detect and reconstruct prehistoric processing methods in skeletal aragonite from archaeological shell midden assemblages. Given the temperature-dependent re-equilibration of clumped isotopes in aragonitic carbonates, this allows specific processing, cooking or trash dispersal strategies such as boiling, roasting, or burning to be differentiated. Besides permitting the detailed reconstruction of cultural or technological aspects of shell midden formation, this also allows erroneous palaeoclimate reconstructions to be avoided as all aragonitic shells subjected to pre-historic cooking methods show a clear alteration of their initial oxygen isotopic composition.

Early Medieval Shellfish Exploitation in Northwest Europe: Investigations at the Sands of Forvie Shell Middens, Eastern Scotland, and the Role of Coastal Resources in the First Millennium AD

ABSTRACTCoastal shell middens represent a well-known element of the archaeological record of island and coastal regions across the world and shellfish have been an important resource for subsistence since the mid Holocene. However, the factors that influence shellfishing remain poorly understood and in many regions investigations into the role of shellfish gathering often have remained focused on prehistoric examples to the detriment of shell middens of later dates. This article reports on the emerging evidence for large-scale exploitation of shellfish during a hitherto understudied period for shell midden archaeology in northwest Europe: the first millennium AD. The article includes a review of a series of previously unknown large mussel-dominated middens in eastern Scotland, an outline of their chronology and character, including Bayesian modeling of dates, and a synthesis of the emerging evidence for shellfish gathering in northwest Europe during the first millennium AD. The research represents the first investigation of large-scale early Medieval middens in Britain and the first review of their international parallels and the important new information they can provide for the early Medieval economy.

Neolithic nomadism in south‐east Arabia — strontium and oxygen isotope ratios in human tooth enamel from al‐Buhais 18 and Umm al‐Quwain 2 in the Emirates of Sharjah and Umm al‐Quwain (UAE)

Human skeletal remains from the Neolithic sites BHS18 in the interior of the Sharjah Emirate and the Neolithic shell midden UAQ2 (Umm al‐Quwain) on the coast of the Persian Gulf (United Arab Emirates, UAE) were analysed for their isotope ratios of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (18O/16O). The results are not in agreement with earlier assumptions about a Neolithic nomadism between inland regions and the south‐eastern coast of the Persian Gulf. Existing evidence of nomadic movements of the people from BHS18 most possibly refers to transhumance within the mountains in the hinterland. The strontium isotope measurements on human skeletons from UAQ2 on the contrary indicate uninterrupted residence of this population on the coast. Nevertheless, evidence was found of individual mobility between inland regions and the coast.

Introduction: North American East Coast Shell Middens

Abstract Archaeological shell bearing deposits, or shell middens, are ubiquitous along the Atlantic Seaboard, and have been the focus of archaeological interest for more than a century. This volume presents recent research on shell-bearing deposits from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Chesapeake Bay. The papers cover topics ranging from fundamental subsistence changes as reflected in archaeofaunas, to the role of select species in hunting practices and diets, to methodological issues of shell midden excavation and interpretation, to aspects of ideation and ontology as reflected in features and assemblages. A consistent theme among the papers is the issue of coastal erosion caused by sea-level rise and climate change. This looming crisis has made the comprehensive investigation of these deposits more important than ever before.

The Roque Island Archaeological Project, Maine, USA: Methodologies and Results

Abstract Between the early 1970s and to the mid-1990s, David Sanger was largely responsible for a series of large-scale regional survey and excavation projects throughout Passamaquoddy Bay (New Brunswick) and the central/Downeast coasts of Maine. While resulting in an important understanding of the paleoenvironment and prehistoric/historic resource exploitation along the Gulf of Maine, these projects also allowed the development of a unified analytical strategy for the excavation of shell middens using column sampling, documentation, and excavation protocols, as well as sediment analysis and classification. This strategy is detailed below along with a summary of excavations from the Great Spruce Island site (61-17) in the Roque Island Archipelago, Downeast region, ME, USA. Pre-European occupation at this specific site ranges from before 3000 years B.P. to ca. 400 years B.P.

Amas et sites coquilliers du delta du Saloum (Sénégal) : Passé et présent

The three main branches of the Saloum delta: the Saloum in the north (110km), the Diombos (30km) and the Bandiala in the south (18km) are joined by numerous small channels, locally called “bolons”. They create many islands that are bordered by dense mangrove and comprise three ecological zones: maritime, amphibious and continental. The delta comprises an area of around 500,000ha and is inhabited by human communities that have been involved in maritime activities for well over two millennia. These include the exploitation of shellfish including the bivalves oyster, Crassostrea gasar, and cockle (Arca senilis) as well as the gastropods “Yett” (Cymbium spp.) and “Touffa” (Murex spp., Thais spp.), and the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), all of which proliferate in the Delta. Artificial shell mounds comprising bivalves and gastropods provide evidence for a human presence in the Delta for well over 2000 years. In some cases, the shell mounds have also been reused as burial grounds and contain many remains of the ancient fisher-collector inhabitants. The Saloum delta is: (1) an exceptional archaeological landscape with many hundreds of sites, and several periods of excavation, including 1939 (J. de Saint-Seine, M. Yvetot, T. Monod), 1951-1956 (H. Bessac, R. Mauny, G. Thilmans and C. Descamps), in 2000 (H. Bocoum, A. Camara, C. Descamps, E. Dioh, M. Gueye, A.A. Seck, G. Thilmans); (2) an archaeological heritage comprising shell mounds which support many baobab trees (Adonsonia digitata). In some cases, these trees become “sacred forests or woods” where ritual activities take place near modern villages; (3) a rich natural heritage containing shell mounds that have become refuges for wildlife especially birds, and flora…; (4) a cultural landscape comprising enduring traditions that are thousands of years old, based on shellfish harvesting and fishing, in a fragile natural environment of great biodiversity. It is one of the few places in the world where traditional shellfishing still survives. Researchers from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar (A. Camara, E. Dioh, M. Guèye, M. Sall) and a team from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) (K. Hardy, R. Piqué, J. Marti) have been conducting ethnoarchaeological research on the Atlantic coast and the Gokehor bolon since 2010. The focus of the work is to document the distribution of the archaeological shell middens, conduct excavations, obtain samples for radiocarbon dating and record the cultural traditions associated with the current collection of shell middens. There are many features of this research that will be of interest to archaeologists, as well as contributing data in palaeoclimatology, archaeozoology and malacology in a delta inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2011 on the basis of criteria III, IV and V.

Using mangroves to stabilize coastal historic sites: deployment success versus natural recruitment

Native Americans created shell middens along estuarine shorelines, and these archeologically significant sites are now threatened by erosion and sea level rise. We worked with Canaveral National Seashore to apply living shoreline techniques to protect middens using stabilized oyster shell, Spartina alterniflora, and Rhizophora mangle. Deployed mangroves were successful in terms of survival, growth, and reproduction, but natural recruitment following stabilization was minimal. After evaluating natural mangrove recruitment at stabilized and neighboring shorelines, we found propagule and seedling counts were significantly lower at stabilized shorelines. Third, we experimentally tested effects of varying sediment grain sizes on R. mangle. Overall, survival and growth were high in all treatments, suggesting that seedlings were not inhibited by the presence of large oyster shell fragments. Combined, this suggests that the retention and transition of the R. mangle propagule into a seedling is being limited in the field. Large shell potentially acts as a barrier for initial anchoring in the sediment or increasing likelihood of dislodgement during movement by boat or wind wakes. The human-altered substrate at shell middens may prevent natural recovery of vegetated shorelines, highlighting the need for on-going management for long-term protection of these archeological sites.

Environmental and cultural changes across the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in Cantabrian Spain

A review of the cultural evidence from northern coastal Atlantic Spain (a.k.a., Vasco-Cantabria) spanning the late Last Glacial and early Postglacial (from Greenland Interstadial 1 to the mid-Holocene) reveals that some changes may have been related to major climate/environmental changes, while others may be attributed to demographic factors that caused possible resource overexploitation and to historical factors such as the long-term availability of Neolithic domesticates and technology in adjacent regions. The culmination of the warming trend of the Last Glacial Interstadial in the Allerød seems to have been of particular importance in the transition from the classic Upper Magdalenian (with its rupestral and portable art and complex stone and bone technologies) to the Azilian, despite continuity in the main game species and in the process of subsistence intensification. The Younger Dryas, on the other hand, seems to have had little immediate direct repercussion in this region, as the Azilian continued, straddling the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. On the other hand, the climatically non-dramatic Preboreal-Boreal boundary seems to have seen the abrupt, marked break between the “Epimagdalenian” Azilian and the Asturian coastal shell midden Mesolithic in the western sector of the region. This contrasted with greater technological continuity (albeit with similarities to the Sauveterrian tradition in adjacent SW France) in the Mesolithic of the Basque Country, with no archeological indications that the 8.2 cal kya event had important consequences in this region. Then, some 15 centuries later, came the sudden, but centuries-delayed appearance of Neolithic domesticates and ceramics on the Atlantic side of the Cantabrian Cordillera originating from sources in the Mediterranean environments of the upper Ebro basin and/or southern France. This major lifeway change was possibly finally accepted, within a still mixed economy, in the face of the overexploitation of wild food resources. The “neolithization” of Vasco-Cantabria was finally underway by c. 6.6 cal kya, quickly leading to new human-land relationships characterized by mainly ovicaprine pastoralism, apparently limited cereal agriculture, continued foraging, recolonization of the montane interior and the construction of modest megalithic monuments.

Seasonality of fishing and site occupation based on growth-line analysis of the red sea bream (Pagrus major) scales recovered from the Konam-ri Shell Midden Sites, Korea

본고에서는 청동기시대의 안면도 고남리 패총(A-1, B-1, B-2)에서 발견된 참돔(Pagrus major ) 비늘에 대한 성장선 분석을 바탕으로 당시의 어로 및 유적 점유 계절성 연구를 시도하였다. 참돔 비늘 28점에 대한 성장선 분석 결과 산출된 연변부지수 값은 0.07~0.96 사이에 분포하였다. 현생 자료를 바탕으로 연변부지수 0의 휴지기 상태를 Ⅰ기(5~7월), 0~0.3을 Ⅱ기(8월경), 0.3~0.7을 Ⅲ기(9, 10월), 0.7~1을 Ⅳ기(11~4월)에 포획된 것으로 구분하여 포획계절을 추정하였다. 이 기준에 따른 고남리 패총 출토 비늘 시료 28점의 포획계절은 Ⅱ기 10점(35.7%), Ⅲ기 15점(53.6%), Ⅳ기 3점(10.7%)이었다. 총 시료 가운데 25점(89.3%)이 8월~10월의 Ⅱ기와 Ⅲ기에 해당하여 여름~가을에 집중된 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 현재 고남리 패총 인근 중부 서해안 지역에서의 회유성 어종인 참돔의 성어기가 여름~가을인 생태적 특성과 잘 부합하였다. 이러한 결과로 미루어 청동기시대의 고남리 패총인근 수역에서의 참돔의 어로 활동은 여름~가을에 집중되었으며, 고남리 패총은 적어도 연중 이 무렵에는 점유되었던 것으로 판단된다.Red sea bream (Pagrus major , Temminck and Schlegel, 1843) is the most abundant among the fish species recovered from the Bronze Age Konam-ri Shell Midden Sites, Korea. In this study, growth-line analysis of 28 scales of the red sea bream were examined to determine the seasonality of fishing and site occupation. The growth-line of the scales were analyzed and the marginal index (MI) of the samples was calculated. And then the marginal index was compared to the monthly MI of modern specimens under the assumption that the growth rate of the fish in the past was similar to that of today. Based on the monthly variation of the MI of modern specimens, the MI of the fish was divided into five phases: (a) phase Ⅰ (MI: 0, May~July); (b) phase Ⅱ (MI: 0~ 0.3, August); (c) phase Ⅲ (MI: 0.3~0.7, September~October) (d) phase Ⅳ (MI: 0.7~1, November~April) capture. By examining the specimens from the shell midden sites according to these categories, It was found that 10 specimens (35.7%) out of 28 specimens were determined to be part of phase Ⅱ, 15 (53.6%) were determined to be part of phase Ⅲ and 3 (10.7%) were determined to be part of phase Ⅳ. The results suggest that fishing at the sites occurred from summer to winter with a prevalence in summer and fall. Considering these results it can be inferred that the sites were possibly occupied in these seasons of the year.

Shells and Humans: Molluscs and Other Coastal Resources from the Earliest Human Occupations at the Mesolithic Shell Midden of El Mazo (Asturias, Northern Spain)

Human populations exploited coastal areas with intensity during the Mesolithic in Atlantic Europe, resulting in the accumulation of large shell middens. Northern Spain is one of the most prolific regions, and especially the so-called Asturian area. Large accumulations of shellfish led some scholars to propose the existence of intensification in the exploitation of coastal resources in the region during the Mesolithic. In this paper, shell remains (molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms) from stratigraphic units 114 and 115 (dated to the early Mesolithic c. 9 kys cal BP) at El Mazo cave (Asturias, northern Spain) were studied in order to establish resource exploitation patterns and environmental conditions. Species representation showed that limpets, top shells and sea urchins were preferentially exploited. One-millimetre mesh screens were crucial in establishing an accurate minimum number of individuals for sea urchins and to determine their importance in exploitation patterns. Environmental conditions deduced from shell assemblages indicated that temperate conditions prevailed at the time of the occupation and the morphology of the coastline was similar to today (rocky exposed shores). Information recovered relating to species representation, collection areas and shell biometry reflected some evidence of intensification (reduced shell size, collection in lower areas of exposed shores, no size selection in some units and species) in the exploitation of coastal resources through time. However, the results suggested the existence of changes in collection strategies and resource management, and periods of intense shell collection may have alternated with times of shell stock recovery throughout the Mesolithic.

3000 Years of Human Subsistence and Estuarine Resource Exploitation on the Rhode River Estuary, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Abstract Chesapeake Bay is home to highly productive marine ecosystems that were a key part of Native American subsistence for millennia. Despite a number of archaeological projects focused on Chesapeake Bay prehistory, key questions remain about the nature of human use of the estuary through time and across space. Recent work at 7 shell middens on the Rhode River Estuary, MD, provides insight into human subsistence and estuarine res ource exploitation from ∼3200 years ago through the mid-19th century. This is an important diachronic sequence of coastal land use and subsistence for the Chesapeake and helps fill a gap in our understanding of coastal adaptations along North America's Atlantic Coast. Despite climate change, fluctuating sea levels, and the likely appearance of maize agriculture in the area ∼1000 years ago, Native American exploitation of oysters and estuarine resources remained fairly consistent across the Early to Late Woodland. These data stand in contrast to the mid-1800s assemblage, which...

Temporal Changes in Marine Shellfish? A Preliminary Archaeological Perspective from the Northumberland Strait

Abstract This paper reports results of test excavations conducted at BjCo-02, a shell midden on the Mi'kmaw island of Maligomish located off the southern coast of the Northumberland Strait in northeastern Nova Scotia. While the site yielded few artifacts, preliminary observations indicate changes in the proportions of the two dominant shellfish species (eastern oyster and soft-shell clam) between 1500 and 500 y.b.p. The appearance of eastern oyster at ca. 1500 y.b.p. and its virtual absence ca. 500 y.b.p. suggest that the Maligomish midden conforms and, at the same time, challenges previously observed patterns at other shell midden sites in the Maritime Provinces of Canada and along the east coast of the United States. Drawing on the preliminary archaeological data from BjCo-02, and previous palynological studies from the region, this paper argues for the recognition of Northumberland Strait as a unique environment within the broader northeastern North American region. The paper also makes recommendations...

People of the Clam: Shellfish and Diet in Coastal Maine Late Archaic and Ceramic Period Sites

Abstract Relatively few shell midden sites around the Gulf of Maine have been excavated and analyzed for the quantity of shellfish incorporated into the site. Such data would help us understand the intensity of past shellfish-harvesting pressure on nearby shellfish beds, and the ef fects of shellfish collection on settlement patterns. Moreover , the relative amounts of protein contributed to diet by shellfish versus vertebrates, based on the remains discarded in the midden, indicate that shellfish may have provided the majority of dietary protein. In particular, the softshell clam (Mya arenaria) was of primary importance to regional coastal subsistence and not just a bad-w eather, last-resort food.

Shell sclerochronology and stable isotopes of the bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa (Linnaeus, 1767) from southern Brazil: Implications for environmental and archaeological studies

This study presents the first stable isotopic and sclerochronological calibration of the bivalve Anomalocardia flexuosa (Linnaeus, 1767) in relation to environmental variables in a subtropical coastal area of southern Brazil. We investigate incremental shell growth patterns and δ18O and δ13C values of modern specimens collected alive from the Laguna Lagoonal System (LLS). Shells of Anomalocardia flexuosa are also one of the main biological components of pre-Columbian archaeological shell mounds and middens distributed along the Brazilian coastline. We therefore selected archaeological specimens from a local late Holocene shell mound (Cabeçuda) to compare their stable carbon and oxygen isotope values with those of modern specimens. Shell growth increments, δ18O and δ13C values respond to a complex of environmental conditions, involving, for example, the effects of temperature and salinity. The isotopic information extracted from archaeological specimens from Cabeçuda shell midden in the LLS indirectly indicates that environmental conditions during the late Holocene were different from present day. In particular, intra-shell δ18O and δ13C values of archaeological shells reveal a stronger marine influence at 3ka cal BP, which is in contrast to the seasonal freshwater/seawater balance that currently prevails at the LLS.

Current methodological issues in archaeomalacological studies

Shell midden sites along the upper Gulf coast of Baja California contain abundant evidence of Indigenous subsistence practices and land use strategies reflecting the long history of local fisheries. Many of these sites contain well preserved faunal remains indicating people utilized a variety of littoral and marine habitats and exploited seasonal runs of the now endangered totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi). We analyze totoaba otoliths recovered from eight archaeological sites along the upper Gulf coast with adjusted accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon date ranges spanning ~5700 to 125 cal BP. Integrating geochemical, biological, oceanographic, and archaeological datasets, this study investigates ~5700 years of Indigenous fishing practices and past marine environments by examining totoaba biogeography, population dynamics, season of harvest, and changes in water chemistry. Otolith morphometrics indicate that most (~78%) of the Indigenous catch consisted of yearlings and juveniles, reflecting more sustainable practices than commercial fisheries, which target larger, older, and more reproductively viable fish. Stable isotope results reveal slight oscillations in water chemistry between the Middle and Late Holocene and suggest shifts in salinity due to the extensive damming of the Colorado River in the past century. Our results contribute to regional paleoenvironmental reconstructions, the natural history of totoaba, and the growing body of data that suggest many Indigenous people engaged in localized sustainable fishing practices over thousands of years.

Uncovering the Native South: Archaeology, Agriculture, and the Environment

Uncovering the Native South:Archaeology, Agriculture, and the Environment Nicholas A. Timmerman (bio) In the winter of 1905, clarence bloomfield moore, a wealthy amateur archaeologist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, traveled down Alabama's Black Warrior River intent on exploring numerous mound sites along the way. The large earthen structures near Moundville predictably captured his attention. Indeed, he deemed the site so significant that he returned the following winter to devote more time and resources to uncovering its history. Moore's interest in southeastern archaeology had begun some years earlier, with an examination of the shell middens along the Saint John's River near Florida's Atlantic Coast in the winter of 1891, and his exploration of mounds would extend well beyond his time at Moundville. Over the course of three decades, he traveled up and down the major navigable river systems of the South aboard the steamboat the Gopher as he investigated hundreds of mounds, village sites, and Indian cemeteries. Although Moore was not affiliated with the predominant archaeological society of the time, the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology, he frequently published his findings with support from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. His archaeological work, as it turned out, proved revolutionary for the time, primarily because he placed indigenous sites into a comparative framework. If his work proved exceptional in that regard, it was nevertheless part of a much larger movement occurring across the United States during this era, a movement that [End Page 141] sought to collect American Indian material culture and redefine North America's indigenous past. Thus Moore proved representative in many ways of the rise of the anthropological sciences.1 The prevailing theory presented by scholars as Moore began his work was that American Indians and American Indian culture were on the verge of extinction.2 Fearing that their subjects might soon be gone, government agencies like the Smithsonian Institution expended large sums of money and a great deal of effort collecting anthropological, archaeological, and ethnological data. Simultaneously, learned societies, such as the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Phillips Academy Museum, and the Heye Foundation's Museum, worked diligently to add to their collections of American Indian artifacts before treasure hunters and ostensibly natural forces like erosion destroyed these valuable pieces of history. In retrospect it might be argued that it was at this juncture between scientific research, the physical environment, and a presumed assumption about American Indian extinction that Southeast Indian [End Page 142] culture prevailed. For as these scientific organizations worked to expand their own archives and museum displays, they inadvertently laid a valuable foundation for the preservation and continuation of the indigenous cultures they sought to document.3 Environmental history offers a valuable lens into that juncture. To be sure, scholarship on the intersection of Southeast Indian history and environmental history to date proves rather sparse when compared to that of other regions, especially the American West.4 Much of the work done on indigenous environmental history has focused on the concept of the "ecological Indian," the effects of ancient American Indians on their local ecosystems, and the realignment of the indigenous world after colonial contact.5 Archaeologists [End Page 143] and anthropologists (rather than historians) have led the effort to explore southeastern ethno-environmental history, employing sciences like geology and dendrochronology to answer anthropological questions and turning to material culture for evidence.6 The strengths of these works notwithstanding, scholarship on the convergence of southeastern ethnohistory and southern environmental history remains largely unexplored despite the fact that the inherent [End Page 144] interdisciplinarity of environmental history has positioned the field well to join this conversation.7 Discovery of these ancient indigenous artifacts had the potential to force southerners who uncovered them to deal with the existence of a complex indigenous past—when they didn't simply attribute them to a lost tribe of Israel or some other mysterious, ancient, and invariably white settlers.8 Evidence of that past appeared in forms like pottery sherds, skeletal remains, and arrowheads as agricultural practices, construction projects, heavy rains, freshets, and floods brought these items to the surface. And, of course, there were the mounds themselves, a prominent landscape feature...

Between Land and Sea: Mangroves and Mollusks along Brazil’s Mangal Coast

Os ocidentais há muito consideram os manguezais como paisagens proibitivas e pestilentas. Enquanto a medicina moderna transformou sua reputação mortal, a percepção permaneceu como de um ambiente que era pouco mais do que um deserto tropical. A Cúpula da Terra de 1992 no Rio de Janeiro mudou profundamente este ponto de vista, chamando a atenção para o ecossistema como um habitat crucial para os ciclos de vida de muitas espécies e fauna ameaçada, mas cada vez mais em risco de desmatamento. As iniciativas de conservação nos anos que se seguiram à Cúpula do Rio, entretanto, raramente reconhecem os manguezais como um habitat que há muito dá suporte à vida humana. Isto é evidente nos sambaquis encontrados ao longo dos Manguezais da costa e no registro histórico dos moluscos colhidos para a dieta proteica. Com foco no Brasil, este artigo examina os mariscos que sustentaram ameríndios, africanos escravizados, e seus descendentes ao longo dos Mangais da costa desde os tempos pré-Colombianos. A discussão alega que as florestas de manguezais do Brasil não podem ser separadas da história dos povos tropicais que viveram e manejaram esse ecossistema desde os tempos antigos até o presente. Finalmente, o artigo conclui que um foco de pesquisa sobre moluscos sugere laços mais amplos com a história do Atlântico Sul.

Continuity Amidst Change: Village Organization and Fishing Subsistence at the Dionisio Point Locality in Coastal Southern British Columbia

ABSTRACTShifts over time in faunal representation in Northwest Coast archaeological sites have been viewed as reflecting changes in economic organization and social complexity. We use fish faunal data from the Parry Lagoon Midden (site DgRv-006) in the Salish Sea region of coastal southwestern British Columbia, Canada, to evaluate the relationship between change in subsistence strategies and community organization. We describe and compare fish assemblages recovered from a shell midden generated by habitation at two sequentially occupied village sites. The lower midden layers include faunal remains derived from the Marpole Period plankhouse village occupation at site DgRv-003 (1500 to 1300 cal BP), while the upper layers were generated during the occupation of a Late Period plankhouse within site DgRv-006 (1000 to 600 cal BP). We compare the two faunal records to ascertain if subsistence re-organization accompanied the social change associated with abandonment and later re-establishment of a village in the Dionisio Point Locality. Results indicate continuity of a diverse fishing economy for the two occupations, and therefore across the Marpole to Late Period transition. This study adds to the recent trend in Northwest Coast archaeology to reconsider the long-standing view that social and subsistence change necessarily occurred in tandem.