So Many Sites, So Little Time: Shell Heaps on the Maine Coast

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Beyond Triage: Prioritizing Responses to Climate Change Impacts on Archaeological Resources" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Climate change induced impacts (accelerated sea level rise, increased storm frequency and intensity, and additional freeze/thaw events) are destroying shell heap, or midden, sites all along the Maine coast. Some sites described 20 years ago are now gone. With approximately 2,000 known sites, it is impossible to have each evaluated by trained professionals using traditional archaeological methods. However, cultural resource prioritization decisions require data, not anecdotes. UMaine researchers have developed geophysical (ground-penetrating radar), remote sensing (drone-based imaging and modeling), and citizen science approaches to collect and archive data to assist in cultural resource management decisions. Ground-penetrating radar, when combined with existing archaeological knowledge or minimal excavation, can provide more complete knowledge of midden extent and stratigraphy than auger or shovel test pit surveys. 3D, georeferenced, high-resolution models of shell middens created from drone imagery establish midden morphology and a create baseline for erosion studies. Citizen scientists are able to collect erosion rate data using simple tools, and also document seasonal/annual change through photography. Additionally, they act as “eyes” on the ground to alert regional professionals of significant erosional events. With strong collaboration among state cultural resource agencies, researchers, and citizen scientists, important cultural heritage can be saved.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Beyond Triage: Prioritizing Responses to Climate Change Impacts on Archaeological Resources   •
• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32519