Effects of tidal amplitude on intertidal resource availability and dispersal pressure in prehistoric human coastal populations: the Mediterranean–Atlantic transition

The Red Sea, Coastal Landscapes, and Hominin Dispersals

“…Shells are found in other Mousterian coastal deposits in Italy and Spain, and the earliest known evidence, comprising shells and fish spines, is from the 400 kya Mediterranean open-air site of Terra Amata (De Lumley, 1966). The quantity of shells and other remains of marine foods in these Mediterranean sites appears to be less than in the African ones, but this probably reflects the fact that the marine productivity of the Mediterranean is generally-speaking relatively low, and especially in the intertidal zone, where the extent of the molluscan habitat is limited by the lack of tidal movement (Fa, 2008). Figure 14.…”

The origins and significance of coastal resource use in Africa and Western Eurasia

“…Mediterranean to the Atlantic coasts (Fa, 2008;Colonese et al, 2011). Unfortunately the 657 mollusk remains from those excavations that pre-date the 1970s received at best very brief 658 descriptions that make it impossible to determine the abundance and density of the mollusk 659 remains.…”

“…Portugal, where the inter-tidal ecosystem is nutrient rich due to substantial terrestrial runoff and 895 marine upwelling and stronger tidal amplitude (Fa, 2008). Fa notes that the primary driver of 896 inter-tidal resource abundance in these regions is the difference between the exposed inter-tidal 897 zones during low and high spring tide.…”

Mesolithic shellfish exploitation in SW Italy: seasonal evidence from the oxygen isotopic composition of Osilinus turbinatus shells

“…The low productivity of the intertidal zones of the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. Bailey and Flemming, 2008;Fa, 2008), suggests shellfish played only a minor role in the diet of Mesolithic groups from these regions (e.g. Bailey and Milner, 2002/3;Guixé et al, 2006;Fa, 2008).…”

“…Bailey and Flemming, 2008;Fa, 2008), suggests shellfish played only a minor role in the diet of Mesolithic groups from these regions (e.g. Bailey and Milner, 2002/3;Guixé et al, 2006;Fa, 2008). Therefore probably shellfish were gathered by SW Italian Mesolithic hunter-gatherers as only part of their diet which was probably governed by the availability and exploitation of primary sources, such as larger mammals (e.g.…”