Sea shells--the exoskeletons of freshwater and saltwater molluscs--are frankly, of some amount of fascination to archaeologists. We like them best when they are found in great heaps, or middens, the remains of somebody's dinner, or lots of somebodies dinners, or centuries of somebodies dinners.
Shell Bed, Magilligan Point, Northern Ireland
Photo by Jasmic
- Stallings Island, USA
- Vuelta Limon, Mexico
- Plum Piece, Lesser Antilles
- Da But, Vietnam
- Capelinha, Brazil
- Chilca, Peru
- Natsushima, Japan
- San Blas, Mexico
- Blombos Cave, South Africa.
Comments
Some of the toggling harpoon artifacts on the Northwes Coast are armed with mussel shells.
Also, bivalves have seasonal growth rings (Ham and Irvine 197_ Syesis)