Early Holocene Use of Pleistocene Fossil Shells for Hide-Working at Covacha Babisuri on Espíritu Santo Island, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pleistocene shell tools from Lake Mungo lunette, Australia: Identification and interpretation drawing on experimental archaeology

“…Lucero, 2004, Szabó, 2005, Lammers, 2008, Harris, 2011, Romagnoli et al, 2014, Fujita and Melgar, 2014, Cuenca-Solana, 2015, Szabó and Koppel, 2015. Despite this recent work, there remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of the criteria that can be used to identify and interpret shells across a wide range of taxa that have been modified for and through use.…”

Molluscs emergent, Part II: themes and trends in the scientific investigation of molluscs and their shells as past human resources

“…If correct, at between 1.6 and 1.5 Ma, this would be the oldest evidence of shell tool use in the world, but see Szab o (2013, 283e4) for a critical assessment of this claim, as well as for important insights into the recognition of worked shell. Use-wear analysis and experimental approaches helped identify the use of the Pleistocene fossil bivalve Glycymeris gigantea (Reeve) for hide-processing at an early human occupation site (11e8 ka), in Baja California, Mexico (Fujita and Melgar, 2014). These authors note the great time difference between the use of the fossils for hide processing and the ages of the fossils themselves (>35 ka): a warning to archaeologists investigating the age and contents of early shell deposits around the world.…”

Early Holocene Pearl Oyster Circular Fishhooks and Ornaments on Espíritu Santo Island, Baja California Sur

“…A coral reamer and drill, as well as pearl oyster debitage, preforms, and fragments, indicate that manufacture of the fishhooks and ornaments took place within the rock shelter. Fossilized shell was also present and may have been used as side and end scrapers, drills, and containers (Fujita and Melgar 2014).…”