Oyster Exploitation and Environmental Reconstruction in Historic Colonial Williamsburg

Summary

Oyster shell is one of the most frequently recovered materials from archaeological sites in the Chesapeake, but they are often un- or underutilized in archaeological interpretations.  In an effort to explore what information these shells can provide, Colonial Williamsburg's Environmental Archaeology Laboratory has been engaged in an on-going, multi-site, multi-disciplinary, synchronic and diachronic program of research to investigate how oysters recovered from sites in the Virginia Tidewater can inform discussions of topics as far-ranging as the development and growth of market systems, the effects of social and political upheaval on local provisioning systems, and historic environmental reconstruction.  A clear pattern of intensive oyster resource exploitation in Williamsburg throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries is emerging. This work demonstrates the potential of rigorous analysis of archaeological oyster shells, and the importance of integrating faunal, documentary, and chemical analysis to create the fullest possible understanding of historic environment and provisioning systems. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Poster Submission 2016   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 953