Shell-fish from the Bronze Age Site of Clos des Châtaigniers (Mathieu, Normandy, France)

Mougne, Caroline; Dupont, Catherine; Giazzon, David; Quesnel, Laurent

doi:10.11141/ia.37.5

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…A re-introduction to European coasts did not occur for a long time. The species was not found in Stone Age kitchen middens (‘køkkenmøddinger’) around the North Sea and the Atlantic coast of France (Hessland, 1946; Petersen et al, 1992; Dupont et al, 2007, 2009), nor in a Bronze Age shell midden in Normandy (France) (Mougne et al, 2014). It didn't show up either in Roman and post-Roman middens (Dubois, 1924, in Bernard, 1979).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Medieval Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Netherlands also clams before Columbus?

Essink¹,

Oost

Streurman

et al. 2016

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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During the Pleistocene, the coastal marine bivalve mollusc Mya arenaria became extinct in northwest Europe. The species remained present in North America. Datings of Mya shells found in northern Denmark and the southern Baltic Sea suggest that repopulation of northwest European coasts already occurred before Columbus’ discovery of America (1492), possibly facilitated by Viking (Norse) settlers at Greenland and northeast North America. In this paper we report on findings of M. arenaria at five locations in the coastal landscape of the Netherlands: polders reclaimed from the Wadden Sea and the former estuaries of Oer-IJ and Old Rhine. The shells from four of these locations also date before 1492 AD.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Medieval Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Netherlands also clams before Columbus?

Essink¹,

Oost

Streurman

et al. 2016

Netherlands Journal of Geosciences

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“…How would these shells have been interpreted by the archaeologist if they were not associated with a grave? The presence of marine shells outside beach environments can be explained by a variety of factors: some are anthropogenic (voluntary or accidental), others may have been carried by animals (Erlandson and Moss 2001), or others are natural deposits (Mougne et al 2014). Consultation with an archaeomalacologist, combined with more systematic sieving, can provide initial answers as to the origins of such assemblages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological Evidence for Collecting Empty Shells Along the French Atlantic Coast: An Important Activity for Coastal Populations

Dupont

2019

Journal of Ethnobiology

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This article discusses the importance of empty shells used as artifacts and their differences with mollusks collected for subsistence by means of three French archaeological examples. The aim is to help archaeologists consider all shells as potential artifacts. The first example considers shell ornaments of hunter-gatherer populations who lived along the Atlantic coast during the sixth millennium BC. The second example focuses on a “treasure box” belonging to a child buried between the third and fourth centuries AD. The third examines a decoration style dating from the third century AD, which consisted of decorating the walls of opulent villas with shells. The archaeomalacofaunal analysis of these examples of shell use entails a description of the physical characteristics of the chosen shells. It shows that the latter were carefully selected, but not necessarily modified before being used. It is clear that the shells were intended to be exposed, as prehistoric ornaments or elements of mural decoration. The shells that were selected differ from those selected for consumption. This is interesting, as it shows a marked division between the economic contribution of marine mollusks and the symbolic value bestowed upon the shell. One shared aspect of the three cases is that shells of deep water species were gathered from high water marks on beaches. People rarely encountered these mollusks alive, which may have held additional cultural meaning. Ultimate artifact function of shells may, thus, relate closely to activities of shell selection from prehistoric beaches.

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“…However, in other cases, the shells were arranged in heaps and covered with sand, without involving any fire (Bird and Bird, 1997). Alternatively, Mougne et al (2014) suggested the shell refuses to be directly thrown into a fire.…”

Section: Prehistoric Fire Events and Shell Middensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mollusk carbonate thermal behaviour and its implications in understanding prehistoric fire events in shell middens

Milano

Lindauer

Prendergast

et al. 2018

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Archaeological shell middens are particularly important for reconstructing prehistoric human subsistence strategies. However, very little is known about shellfish processing, especially when related to the use of fire for dietary and disposal purposes. To shed light on prehistoric food processing techniques, an experimental study was undertaken on modern gastropod shells (Phorcus lineatus). The shells were exposed to high temperatures (200-700 °C) to investigate subsequent mineralogy and macroand microstructural changes. Afterwards, the three-pronged approach was applied to archaeological shells from Haua Fteah cave, Libya (Phorcus turbinatus) and from shell midden sites in the United Arab Emirates (Anadara uropigimelana and Terebralia palustris) to determine exposure temperatures.Results indicated that shells from the Haua Fteah were exposed to high temperatures (600 -700 °C) during the Mesolithic period (c. 12.7 -9 ka), whereas specimens from the Neolithic period (c. 8.5 -5.4 ka) were mainly exposed to lower temperatures (300 -500 °C). The thermally-induced changes in A. uropigimelana and T. palustris shells from the South East Arabian archaeological sites were similar to those seen in Phorcus spp. suggesting a broad applicability of the experimental results at an interspecific level. Although heat significantly altered the appearance and mineralogy of the shells, 14 C AMS ages obtained on burnt shells fit within the expected age ranges for their associated archaeological contexts, indicating that robust radiocarbon ages may still be obtained from burnt shells. Our study indicates that the combination of microstructural and mineralogical observations can provide important information to infer shellfish processing strategies in prehistoric cultures and their change through time.

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Shell-fish from the Bronze Age Site of Clos des Châtaigniers (Mathieu, Normandy, France)

Cited by 3 publications

References 8 publications

Are Medieval Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Netherlands also clams before Columbus?

Are Medieval Mya arenaria (Mollusca; Bivalvia) in the Netherlands also clams before Columbus?

Archaeological Evidence for Collecting Empty Shells Along the French Atlantic Coast: An Important Activity for Coastal Populations

Mollusk carbonate thermal behaviour and its implications in understanding prehistoric fire events in shell middens

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