High-Resolution Paleoenvironmental Shell Proxy Data: Implications for South Florida and Beyond

Summary

This is an abstract from the "*SE Hope for the Future: A Message of Resiliency from Archaeological Sites in South Florida" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

We present exploratory analyses of subannual environmental proxy data from a variety of freshwater, estuarine, and marine mollusk species from South Florida and the broader US Southeast. Using modern baseline specimens as well as specimens from archaeological contexts analyzed via microscopy and associated methodologies, we discuss best practices for shell sample selection and preparation as well as analytical methods. These data sources have the potential to allow for high-resolution reconstructions of environmental parameters in antiquity, including identification of shifts in the lengths of mollusk annual growing seasons. Such reconstructions can aid in improving the temporal understanding of cultural harvesting practices as well as the resiliency and sustainability of mollusk resources during periods of rapid environmental change.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• *SE Hope for the Future: A Message of Resiliency from Archaeological Sites in South Florida   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38326.0