Comparing Late Archaic Oyster Paleobiology and Volumetric Data from Different Sites along the South Atlantic Coast of Georgia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

For millennia, Indigenous communities around the world have engaged in sustainable shellfish harvesting practices, though they are not without their challenges. Our new research integrates Bayesian radiocarbon modeling of shell ring and mound sites along with research on oyster paleobiology, and shell mound and midden volumetric data from multiple sites along the South Atlantic Bight of the Georgia Coast. These data are used to assess the impact of short-term environmental fluctuations on overall oyster productivity and availability in the region throughout the Late Archaic (5000–3800 cal BP). Previous results indicate significant differences in oyster size and the volume (m3) of mollusks collected from rings and mounds. Some sites are characterized by smaller oyster shells, and reduced shell abundance, while others seem to evidence either stability or an increase in size over time. Our new work highlights temporal shifts in these patterns within this time frame and adds to our growing understanding of the environmental challenges that people faced in maintaining sustainable oyster harvesting practices during the Late Archaic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37221.0