The shell game: analytic problems in archaeological mollusc quantification

Giovas, Christina M.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.03.017

Cited by 82 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Shell and meat weight data are normalized to a volume of 1 m 3 for comparison. We analyze shellfish and other faunal materials by weight rather than minimum number of individuals because of the fragmentary nature of the midden and the difficulty of assigning meaningful counts to the species present in low densities (see Glassow 2000;Giovas 2009;contra Mason et al 1998contra Mason et al , 2000. We used the Shannon-Weaver function (Shannon and Weaver 1949) to calculate the taxonomic diversity of the assemblages from both shell and meat weights of all dietary shellfish species recovered.…”

Section: Faunal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Test of Ideal Free Distribution Predictions Using Targeted Survey and Excavation on California’s Northern Channel Islands

Jazwa

Kennett

Winterhalder

2015

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Using targeted survey, excavation, and radiocarbon dating, we assess the extent to which human settlement patterns on California's northern Channel Islands fit predictions arising from the ideal free distribution (IFD): (1) people first established and expanded permanent settlements in the regions ranked high for environmental resource suitability; (2) as population grew, they settled in progressively lower ranked habitats; and (3) changes in the archaeological record associated with high population levels such as increases in faunal diversity and evenness in high-ranked habitats are coincident with the expansion to other areas. On Santa Rosa Island, the early permanent settlements were located in both high-and middle-ranked locations, with the most extensive settlement at the highest ranked locations and only isolated sites elsewhere. Settlement at a low-ranked habitat was confined to the late Holocene (after 3600 cal BP). Drought influenced the relative rank of different locations, which is an example of climate adding a temporal dimension to the model that episodically stimulated population movement and habitat abandonment. Because the IFD includes a wide range of cultural and environmental variables, it has the potential to be a central model for guiding archaeological analysis and targeted field research.

show abstract

Section: Faunal Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Test of Ideal Free Distribution Predictions Using Targeted Survey and Excavation on California’s Northern Channel Islands

Jazwa

Kennett

Winterhalder

2015

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…), and possibly the green iguana (Iguana iguana) for dietary consumption (Newsom and Wing 2004;Stahl 2009;Giovas et al, forthcoming). The zooarchaeological record also suggests heavy exploitation of marine resources, particularly finfish and gastropod mollusks (LeFebvre 2007;Fitzpatrick et al 2009;Giovas 2009). In contrast to the larger islands that bound them to the north and south, the Grenadines have relatively extensive reef development with large bank barrier reef complexes on the windward side of some islands, especially off the eastern coasts of Petit Martinique, Carriacou, and the Tobago Cays (Tupper et al, http://www.reefbase.org).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Radiocarbon Dates for the Grenadine Islands (West Indies)

Fitzpatrick

Giovas²

2011

Radiocarbon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Intensified archaeological research in the Caribbean over the past 2 decades has provided a wealth of new information on how and when these islands were settled prehistorically. However, there has been a paucity of research on islands in the southern Lesser Antilles, which would allow for more rigorous testing of migration models and various settlement pattern hypotheses. To address some of these chronological and geographical gaps, we present a corpus of 41 radiocarbon dates from several sites in the Grenadine Island chain. Results to date support a relatively late Ceramic Age settlement of these smaller islands (about AD 400) compared to other nearby, larger islands in the southern Lesser Antilles (about AD 200) as well as the Caribbean as a whole (about 400/500 BC). Intriguing questions also remain as to an apparent, but as yet inadequately tested, pattern where earlier colonization dates are correlated with larger island size.

show abstract

“…While there are ongoing debates about the most appropriate method for quantifying molluscan remains (e.g. Claassen 1998Claassen , 2000Giovas 2009;Glassow 2000;Lyman 2008;Mannino and Thomas 2001;Mason et al 1998;Mowat 1994;Nunn et al 2007;Poteate and Fitzpatrick 2013;Reitz and Wing 2008), this combination is frequently used in faunal studies both in Australia and internationally, as it is able to more accurately describe the proportions of taxa, the degree of inter-site and intra-site fragmentation, and also provides comparisons with non-molluscan components (see e.g. Faulkner 2013:73;Szabó 2009;Ulm 2006).…”

Section: Marine Molluscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Claassen 1998;Faulkner 2006Faulkner , 2013Giovas 2009;Mannino and Thomas 2001;Mason et al 1998;Nunn et al 2007;Poteate and Fitzpatrick 2013;Szabó 2009;Ulm 2004Ulm , 2006. However, gastropods possess a greater number of NRE than bivalves (Figure 4-1), and so for this study, depending on individual taxa, an additional range of NRE was used to calculate MNI, including apertural lips >50% complete, decks which included columellar folds (nerites), umbilici, and opercula >50% complete (Figure 4-1) (modified from Harris et al 2015).…”

Section: Marine Molluscsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological expressions of Holocene cultural and environmental change in coastal Southeast Queensland

Smith¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between Holocene environmental changes and human behaviour in coastal southeast Queensland. The study region covers an area stretching from Fraser Island in the north to the border of northern New South Wales in the south, and possesses the best documented and intensively scrutinised coastal archaeological record in Australia. The archaeology of the area was a major focus from the late 1970s when the Moreton Regional Archaeological Project, a long-term multi-stage regional project, was established to coordinate archaeological investigations in southeast Queensland. The Cooloola Region Archaeological Project was established in the mid-1980s to explore the archaeology north of the Noosa River. These initial studies provided the basis for a regional chronology, as well as models of settlement and subsistence based on the exploitation of the area's rich marine resources.In the time since the original work was conducted the research foci for coastal archaeology, both in Australia and internationally, have moved toward more complex issues such as assessing the impact of humans on marine ecosystems, the identification of patterns in resource exploitation strategies, and the use of molluscs as proxy evidence in local and regional environmental reconstructions.Additionally, regionally-specific models of Holocene environmental change have been developed, in line with greater emphasis being placed on the ecology and biology of the constituent species in middens in addressing questions of spatial and chronological variations in site patterning.In view of these developments, midden deposits from five sites from differing locations in southeast Queensland were re-analysed, and a literature review of two further sites was also undertaken, with the aim of assessing human behavioural variability during the mid to late Holocene through the Publications during candidature No publications Publications included in this thesis No publications included. vi Contributions by others to the thesisNo contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degreeNone.vii Acknowledgements Researching and writing a PhD thesis is never a straightforward endeavour, although it seems to be a good idea at the time. The project has taken a long time to come to fruition, delayed by a combination of protracted and ultimately fruitless negotiations with stakeholders, illness, and bereavement. There are many people to thank for helping me to eventually get over the line. Chris was an undergraduate student in one of the University of Queensland Field Archaeology viii classes on Bribie Island in the early 1990s. Even then his knowledge of lithics was scary. Chris kindly stepped in as my principal advisor when Pat moved to Sydney. I must confess some disappointment that the artefact assemblages in my study were not more exciting for him but, as he does most things, he has calmly taken it in his stride.

show abstract

The shell game: analytic problems in archaeological mollusc quantification

Cited by 82 publications

References 19 publications

A Test of Ideal Free Distribution Predictions Using Targeted Survey and Excavation on California’s Northern Channel Islands

A Test of Ideal Free Distribution Predictions Using Targeted Survey and Excavation on California’s Northern Channel Islands

New Radiocarbon Dates for the Grenadine Islands (West Indies)

Archaeological expressions of Holocene cultural and environmental change in coastal Southeast Queensland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About