THE USE OF MOLLUSC SHELLS AS TOOLS BY COASTAL HUMAN GROUPS: The Contribution of Ethnographical Studies to Research on Mesolithic and Early Neolithic Technologies in Northern Spain

Solana, David Cuenca; Gutiérrez-Zugasti, Igor; Conte, Ignacio Clemente

doi:10.3998/jar.0521004.0067.105

Cited by 33 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…For this reason, molluscs could have played a critical role in their daily food requirements. Elsewhere around the world, at archaeological sites in places such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Haiti, molluscs were gathered to be used as the raw material for tool making (Solana et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The closely related practice was revealed at Mumba, where carbonated and fragmented shells appear in higher frequencies. Fragmentation resulted from taphonomic processes, although it can sometimes be related to anthropogenic actions such as their use for scraping or refining ceramics (Debruyne 2010, Solana et al 2011). The modification of shells for scraping purposes involved transforming natural edges into cutting or scraping edges by retouching their marginal edges (Solana et al 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Mollusc Shells from Neolithic Contexts in the Lake Eyasi Basin, Northern Tanzania

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The study of the Neolithic period in the Lake Eyasi Basin was dominated by attempts to formulate the area’s chronology, mobility, settlement patterns, subsistence, and cultural capabilities of Neolithic people as attested by domesticated animals, pottery, and lithic artefacts. Occasionally, studies on molluscs were mentioned, but rarely described in detail. Neolithic sites across the Lake Eyasi Basin have yielded remains of both terrestrial (gastropods) and freshwater mollusc shells (mussels). The abundance of mollusc shell remains in the archaeological records of the Lake Eyasi Basin have played a great role in chronological settings, mobility and community integrations, studies of settlement patterns, and other analyses. Mollusc remains have often been widely interpreted as a food supplement to other reliable food resources such as meat, vegetables and fish. Archaeological excavations and detailed analysis of the shells from Mumba rock shelter, Jangwani 3 and Laghangasimjega 2 have shown that molluscs played different roles. They were effectively used in tool manufacturing, as practical implements for handling objects, as scraping tools, as harpoons for fishing weapons, and sometimes for symbolism and in rituals. Terrestrial and freshwater molluscs coexisted in the Lake Eyasi Basin and were utilised equally by the Neolithic people during the Mid-Holocene period. Keywords: Mollusc shells; Neolithic; Lake Eyasi Basin; Northern Tanzania

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mollusc Shells from Neolithic Contexts in the Lake Eyasi Basin, Northern Tanzania

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ethnographic studies (e.g. Cuenca-Solana et al, 2011;Attenbrow, 2012) show that expedient tools were used all over the world for processing many kinds of materials (fish, skin, bone, plant, or mineral matter).…”

Section: The Use Of Unio Valves At the Cheia Settlementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning from Experiment: Unio Freshwater Mussel Shells in Fifth-millennium bc Romania

Mărgărit

Radu²,

Voinea

2020

Eur. j. archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Raw materials from aquatic environments were systematically used for domestic activities even before the appearance of modern humans. Here, the authors analyse the possible use of freshwater mussel valves of the Unio species, whose surfaces preserve marks resulting from their use. They consider the ways in which wear develops on these valves, starting from the comparison between archaeological exemplars and experimental pieces. An experimental programme was developed to record variables such as the procurement of the raw material, the processing of various materials, and the time needed for each operation. Experimental pieces were assessed to document how use-wear develops. The archaeological assemblage from the site of Cheia in Romania (Hamangia culture, fifth millennium cal bc) served as a case study to illustrate the relevance of the results.

show abstract

“…Sin embargo, la información procedente de la etnografía nos muestra que también existe un variado abanico de actividades productivas que se realizan con las conchas de los moluscos (Claassen, 1998), especialmente como instrumento de trabajo (Cuenca-Solana et al, 2011). Así, podemos encontrar narraciones que muestran diferentes utilizaciones tecnológicas de las conchas procedentes de regiones tan distantes como Polinesia, Alaska, Chile, Venezuela, Cuba, Brasil o Japón (Clemente-Conte y Cuenca-Solana, 2015; Cuenca-Solana et al, 2011). Estas observaciones describen utilizaciones instrumentales de las conchas por parte de grupos humanos con una economía basada en la caza y la recolección, como también orientados a una producción de excedentes a partir de la agricultura y/o la ganadería.…”

Section: Los Instrumentos De Concha Y La Actividad Alfarera a Través unclassified

Cerámica prehistórica y el kit instrumental para su producción. Descripción del registro arqueológico de Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca)

Conte

Mazzucco²,

Cuenca-Solana

et al. 2019

TArqueo

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cerámica prehistórica y el kit instrumental para su producción. Descripción del registro arqueológico de Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca) Once these types of working tools have been defined, we bring the study to specific archaeological contexts. In this case, we describe the instruments recovered in Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca) and how these tools relate to the production and upkeep of pottery vessels, especially during a chronological period related to the ancient Neolithic period.

show abstract

THE USE OF MOLLUSC SHELLS AS TOOLS BY COASTAL HUMAN GROUPS: The Contribution of Ethnographical Studies to Research on Mesolithic and Early Neolithic Technologies in Northern Spain

Cited by 33 publications

References 16 publications

Mollusc Shells from Neolithic Contexts in the Lake Eyasi Basin, Northern Tanzania

Mollusc Shells from Neolithic Contexts in the Lake Eyasi Basin, Northern Tanzania

Learning from Experiment: Unio Freshwater Mussel Shells in Fifth-millennium bc Romania

Cerámica prehistórica y el kit instrumental para su producción. Descripción del registro arqueológico de Coro Trasito (Tella-Sin, Huesca)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About