Introduction
Mollusc shells are a common component of many archaeological assemblages. Archaeological mollusc shell accumulations are typically the result of food refuse and may be present within a settlement or as a midden nearby. Mollusc-based artifacts such as shell scrapers and shell beads have also been found in sites from Paleolithic to recent times in many geographic areas. However, some terrestrial mollusc shells may be present in archaeological assemblages even though humans did not actively collect them. Studying the chemistry of shells from archaeological assemblages provides a means to study paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental change that is directly correlated to human activity. Shell chemistry of the final growth increments can also yield information on the seasons in which the shells were harvested. Incorporating climate and seasonality studies within archaeological investigations provides insight on how humans interacted with their environment. Stable oxygen isotope...
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Further Reading
Álvarez, M., I.B. Godino, A. Balbo, and M. Madella. 2010. Shell middens as archives of past environments, human dispersal and specialized resource management. Quaternary International 239: 1–7.
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Schöne, B.R., and D. Surge. 2005. Looking back over skeletal diaries – High-resolution environmental reconstructions from accretionary hard parts of aquatic organisms. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology 228: 1–3.
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Prendergast, A.L., Stevens, R.E. (2020). Molluscs (Isotopes): Analyses in Environmental Archaeology. In: Smith, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30018-0_2162
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