Sclerochronology of the Tiger Lucine Clam (Codakia orbicularis): Implications for Florida Keys and Northern Caribbean Archaeological Site Seasonality

Summary

The Tiger Lucine (Codakia orbicularis) is a large bivalve native to the West Indies. This tropical species is a common constituent of late prehistoric (AD 800-1500) shell middens in the Florida Keys, the Lucayan Archipelago, and the Greater Antilles (e.g., Jamaica). C. orbicularis’ prominence in the archaeological deposits of these regions is the predictable result of its abundance, relative ease of access, and widespread efficacy as both a subsistence resource and raw material for tools (e.g., fish-net sinker). For the present study, I constructed stable isotope profiles (δ18O and δ13C) for modern and archaeological (~AD 1250) C. orbicularis specimens from the Lower Florida Keys to determine growth rates and seasonality, and season(s) of collection, respectively. Preliminary results align well with published data from the Bahamas, providing further support that this species precipitates shell throughout most of the year, ceasing growth only at or near winter minima temperatures. The archaeological specimen yielded three annual temperature (δ18O) cycles, ending on the most negative value observed in the dataset (-2.1‰), suggesting it was collected during the summer. These stable isotope data form a solid foundation from which prehistoric season of habitation can be ascertained for the Florida Keys and western North Atlantic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Insights from Increments: Advances in Geochemical and Microscopic Analyses of Hard Tissues   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14500