Coastal Resource Management and Sustainable subsistence: Stone Crab Harvesting at Isla Cerritos, Yucatán

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Complex Human-Animal Interactions in the Americas" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In Mesoamerican archaeology, animal management in coastal environments is often underexplored, particularly concerning the consumption of invertebrates beyond mollusks. This presentation addresses this gap by examining the exploitation of stone crabs (Menippe mercenaria) at Isla Cerritos, Yucatán, Mexico, during the Terminal Classic period. The site’s substantial archaeozooological assemblage includes a high frequency of crab remains, predominantly claws. Detailed metric analysis of these claws reveals a marked preference for larger individuals, suggesting selective harvesting practices while morphological analyses suggest the presence of renewed claws.

Ethnographic parallels from the Gulf of Mexico indicate that small prey, such as crabs, have historically been a reliable and predictable resource, with claw removal practiced as an economically sustainable method that is still being practiced today. This study argues that the dominance of M. mercenaria claws in the assemblage and the preference for larger specimens point to a renewable subsistence strategy, where crabs were harvested sustainably by removing claws, allowing for regrowth. The findings provide new insights into the management of marine resources in Mesoamerica, emphasizing the significance of invertebrates in the diet and economy of coastal communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Complex Human-Animal Interactions in the Americas

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51155