This paper examines the significance of the marine seaweed Chondracanthus chamissoi to the subsistence and economy of modern and second-millennium BC settlements on the Andean coast-specifically Huanchaco and the archaeological site of Gramalote in northern Peru. The extraordinary preservation of seaweed at these sites reveals how ancient populations dried algae for storage, consumption, and exchange. The study also explores the role of seaweed in domestic rituals. Ethnoarchaeological observations in the modern maritime community of Huanchaco provide a framework suggesting that seaweed gathering is almost exclusively a female-oriented task. Beyond documenting the daily exploitation, processing, and consumption of seaweed, this paper argues that these activities helped structure social organization within early residential settlements. Furthermore, the data suggest that seaweed was a vital commodity in local, regional, and interregional exchange systems, fostering social interactions and providing coastal communities with access to non-local products. Finally, the use of seaweed in domestic and community-based ritual contexts indicates its importance extended beyond mere subsistence, playing a symbolic role in the ideology of maritime communities along the Andean coast.
Sumatra has long been recognized as a pivotal crossroads for trade in the Indian Ocean, with evidence of this activity dating back to the late first millennium when the Srivijaya regional polity emerged. The predominant hypothesis regarding this trade is that upland areas supplied forest products to lowland centers, which functioned as international trading marketplaces. These marketplaces received imported materials, some of which were exchanged with upland groups. However, evidence of this trade is still poorly supported by archaeological materials. This paper presents the first comprehensive study of glass beads from Sumatra via laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to determine the elemental compositions of the beads. The study encompasses a wide range of sites from upland and lowland areas and various temporal periods, extending from prehistoric to early historic times in Southern Sumatra, Jambi, and South Sumatra Province. The study provides not only improved chronologies, but also data on upland-lowland exchanges that definitively show the upland megalithic sites are not prehistoric, but rather contemporary with Srivijaya. Furthermore, it provides data on the pre-Srivijayan port-settlements and the regional networks in which they were involved, thanks to the presence of certain types of glass, including Mediterranean glass.
The semi-arid Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka has often been considered unsuitable for prehistoric habitation due to its dry climate and scarce stone resources. New excavations at a shell midden (CB/Ex1) in Velanai Island challenge this view, revealing a Late Holocene coastal foraging community dated similar to 3460 cal BP that utilized coastal resources long before the agro-pastoral migrations from India around the fifth century BCE. This microlithic activity locus, including non-local quartz debitage, provides the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric occupation by island dwellers in northern Sri Lanka. The inhabitants strategically exploited intertidal reefs with Gafrarium pectinatum as a dietary staple, alongside marine and terrestrial fauna. Their technological toolkit combined locally available limestone, bone tools, and non-local raw materials from the mainland, underscoring deliberate raw material transport and mobility, as well as possibly short-distance seafaring. These findings transform current models of Sri Lankan prehistory by highlighting the adaptive strategies of coastal foragers in marginal environments and their early participation in regional mobility and exchange networks. This research highlights the significance of coastal archaeological sites in reconstructing long-term human-environment interactions and early maritime traditions in South Asia.
The relationship between fishing and the political economy of southern Peru in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries is the focus of this article. Over millennia, native Andean fishers of the Colesuyo-the lowlands of northern Chile and southern Peru-mastered underwater habitats and conditions. These communities produced a fishing surplus that fed traditional and emerging hierarchies with in-kind tributes. I trace the dynamics and impacts triggered by political economic demands on the landings of one such community, the Puerto Loa fishery, in terms of species, fishing technology, and diversity. The comparison of catches over time shows how the consolidation of a fishing tributary system translated into: (1) the exploitation of low trophic level Clupeiformes (i.e., sardines and anchovies); (2) the use of fishing nets for large volumes of fish; and (3) the diversification of exploited habitats and species. I then compare these results with ichthyological data from other cases and suggest shared regional tributary requirements since the sixteenth century. The synthesis of ichthyology and documentary data opens a fine-grained window into how Andean fishing practices evolved and were transformed by the tributary demands from emerging imperialism in the Inca to Spanish transition.
Landscape modifications produce a myriad of long-lasting ecological and cultural legacies. In some cases, such practices may necessitate the need for proprietorship systems and cooperation among actors and institutions, particularly if these modifications lead to more favorable habitats. In Tampa Bay, Indigenous shell-terraforming generated conditions more suitable for tidal wetland habitats that descendants would have benefited from. We suggest that the recognition of ancestrally engineered landscapes may have been a motivator for negotiating sea tenure systems during public events like mound building. To explore this, we examine variations in mollusk size, species compositions, and oyster geochemistry between domestic and public contexts from five precolonial sites in two sub-basins in the Tampa Bay Estuary to elucidate potential harvesting regulations and tenure systems used in the management of mollusks between ca. AD 200 and 1000. Many of the observed differences in species composition and shell size between public and domestic contexts were minor. Still, dissimilarities in the season and environment of oyster harvests within and between site contexts were stronger and provided insights into shellfishing, site formations, and intra-site variation in ceremonialism that may reflect sea tenure systems. We interpret these patterns as resilient and flexible management institutions that spanned almost a millennium and contributed to sustainable oyster harvests and the persistent occupation of two villages fronting ancestrally generated estuarine sub-basins.
The permanent settlement of North African Amazigh groups on the island of Gran Canaria during the early centuries of the Common Era, as in the remainder of the Canary archipelago, entailed the transference and subsequent adaptation of mainland lifeways and ideological frameworks to an insular context. This study focuses on the interaction between the Indigenous population and the sea to understand how this relationship evolved over time and shaped their organizational principles. As a methodological proxy, the prevalence of external auditory exostosis (bony growths in the ear canal) among the nonadult population was analyzed to infer recurrent exposure to cold water patterns. Due to the absence of viable morphoscopic sexing methods for nonadults, proteomic analysis of dental enamel was used to sex some individuals in the sample. The analysis revealed that 13.25% exhibited external auditory exostosis, comparable to the previously reported 17.11% in the adult population. These data are contextualized within broader discussions on sociocultural mechanisms of identity construction related to childhood. The findings suggest significant transformations in the use and management of marine resources from the eleventh century onward, indicating that longstanding subsistence strategies underwent modification, including increased fishing with nets, intensified occupation of the coastline, increased marine resources in the diet, development of fishing-related technologies (fishhooks, fish scalers), etc. This shift marked the emergence of a historical trajectory in which coastal landscapes assumed an increasingly central role in the later stages of the ancient Canarians society.
Sustainability is presented as a relevant form of resource management that can be approached by archaeology. Using the framework of socio-ecological systems (SES), seven indicators are proposed to infer multispecies sustainable coastal SES from the zooarchaeological record. This is tested by presenting the results of chronological and faunal analyses from Punta Teatinos, a shell midden in coastal north-central Chile. Three different modes of faunal resource use are inferred and interpreted as distinct past SES through correspondence analyses. Preceramic fisher-hunter-gatherers (PFHG, ca. 6000-2500 cal BP) stand out for its littoral orientation, high diversity, and long-term stability spanning 3500 years. Ceramic fisher-hunter-gatherers (CFHG, ca. 1500-1000 cal BP) show continuities with the former mode, while their occupations became more ephemeral and their faunal exploitation turned to other habitats in an overall shift favoring inland spaces. Finally, fisher-agriculturalists (FA, ca. 1000-500 cal BP) are characterized by relatively lower richness and diversity values, and stronger reliance on key species, which are inferred as indicating exchange networks with inland sites. PFHG is the most sustainable mode in the sequence and FA the least. The use of our indicators allows a relative assessment of sustainability, offering critical insights for current sustainability challenges and socio-ecological resilience.
Seaweed is often overlooked as a potential food source for animals and humans in archaeological interpretations. However, plentiful historical and ecological evidence attests to seaweed consumption by humans and domesticated and wild animals (e.g., sheep, cattle, deer, coyotes). This literature review provides a summary of the use of seaweed as food and fodder by humans and terrestrial mammals more generally, and how seaweed consumption may be detected in archaeological contexts. It gives a detailed overview of currently available methods to identify seaweed consumption, including the study of seaweed macrofossils and seaweed proxies such as small shells (which can indicate the past presence of seaweed at a site), dental microwear and markers in dental calculus, as well as isotope ratios of skeletal material (which can give direct evidence of seaweed consumption). Several case studies are included to illustrate the implications of seaweed consumption by humans and animals in archaeological contexts, examining questions of food insecurity and adaptations to coastal environments.
While the uniformity of settlement dynamics at Martinique's Early Ceramic sites is beyond dispute, it must be acknowledged that today's North Atlantic coastlines of the island, characterized by subvertical cliffs and pebble beaches, are poorly suited for canoe landing and other coastal activities. Yet, from both cultural and economic perspectives, these inherently maritime populations remain intrinsically connected to the coast and the sea. Thus, on an island offering many other types of environments, the choice of these early agro-ceramicist groups raises questions. This article aims to challenge this perception, based on the current morphology of the coastline, by reconstructing the evolution of the coastline over the last two millennia, particularly in regard to reassessing the impact of Holocene marine transgression. This is also an opportunity to examine the archaeological potential of the intertidal zone of Martinique.
Seaweeds are increasingly presented as a solution to global problems of food insecurity that can simultaneously combat climate change through carbon sequestration and regenerate damaged marine environments. However, seaweed consumption can be viewed as challenging for Western palates, requiring a significant cultural shift in order to become widely accepted. This paper summarizes archaeological and ethnohistorical evidence for seaweed exploitation in the North Atlantic, especially Iceland and Norway, and argues that negative attitudes toward seaweed in the present are less influenced by tradition than by industrialization, capitalism, and ideas of "modernity." We propose that a better understanding of past human relationships with seaweeds can make their use and consumption more appealing to modern consumers. However, we also acknowledge the limitations of current archaeological practice and the consequent focus on finds of charred seaweed fragments, and examine how we might gain a fuller understanding of past seaweed exploitation practices in regions with poor organic preservation.
This paper aims to investigate the lifeway of the Majo (the known name of Lanzarote Indigenous people) through the first zooarchaeological study conducted on Lanzarote Island. This article analyzes the terrestrial and marine species from Fiquinineo-La Pe & ntilde;a de las Cucharas settlement and provides detailed anatomical identifications for this faunal assemblage. Diachronic and synchronic analyses exploring animal husbandry, cut marks, paleopathology, and bone technology, are informed by the stratigraphic data for the Majo and European periods. The results yield significant insights: (1) continuity in animal husbandry, revealing a management strategy that includes milk and meat production; (2) a discernible shift in technological approaches; (3) lifeway diversity in the Indigenous Period; (4) the paramount significance of Capra/Ovis for secondary product acquisition during the Majo Period; and (5) the relevance of maritime and bird resources in the subsistence strategies of settlement inhabitants. This study provides valuable insights into the historical and ecological dynamics of Lanzarote Island, offering a more nuanced understanding of the lifeways of its ancient inhabitants.
The Riau-Lingga Archipelago, situated south of Singapore and east of Sumatra, holds promise from a modeling perspective for the preservation of Homo erectus and other early archaeological material, as hominins traveled south to Island Southeast Asia. The islands in the archipelago are some of the only emergent lands of the now submerged Sunda Shelf, a region ecologically and geographically conducive for early hominin and faunal movements and occupation. On the ground surveys, however, revealed very little potential for the preservation of archaeology or body fossils. This very limited preservation potential can be attributed to geological and anthropogenic controls. The dominant lithology of the archipelago is granite, which provides neither a reliable source for production of lithics nor weathers in a fashion likely to allow for long-term preservation. Chemical weathering of granites produces acidic soils, and clays and sediments produced are prone to sheet erosion which prevents the formation of soil horizons. A geologically long period of peneplanation, especially in the islands in the northern part of the archipelago, exacerbated these processes, as did large-scale deforestation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries for gambier cultivation. Nevertheless, this first large-scale field survey of the archipelago identified novel archaeology and fossil remains. The former includes a lithic scatter on Singkep, possibly associated with pottery sherds, as well as potential standing stones on Singkep and Kundur. Karimunbesar preserved recent rock art in addition to a well-known Sanskrit inscription, and a stone adze owned by a local villager in Lingga is of unknown and unlikely local provenance. A single fossil enamel fragment, provisionally identified as bovid, was recovered from Lingga though its age could not be determined. Our study highlights the difficulties in locating archaeological and paleontological material on stable, tectonically inactive continental islands, with implications for efforts to understand the Pleistocene dispersal of H. erectus.
The archipelagos of southwestern Patagonia were historically inhabited by hunter-gatherer societies characterized by a maritime-oriented lifeway and a knowledge of navigation techniques. These canoeros societies inhabited this extensive territory from approximately 7500 years BP until the processes of social disintegration and ethnocide that took place during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The use of shells as tools constituted a distinctive behavioral trait among these groups, and as such, is well documented in ethnographic sources. Nonetheless, archaeological investigation of this practice has remained limited, due in part to the rarity of shell tools in the archaeological record and the inherent difficulty of detecting the use of unmodified shells. This study addresses this historical gap through a use-wear analysis of unmodified shells recovered from several archaeological sites, in addition to three ethnographic artifacts, including a manufactured shell knife. The results indicate that some of these shells-typically classified as food refuse, as they are an integral part of the shell middens-were in fact tools, used primarily for skin scraping, in four out of the five archaeological sites examined. These include middle and late Holocene sites from both the Beagle Channel and the Magallanes region. Moreover, ethnographic collections have enabled the examination of unmodified shell tools, retouched shell implements, and hafted knives originating from territories inhabited by both the Yagan and Kaw & eacute;sqar societies. These ethnographic tools were also primarily associated with skin processing, although they exhibit a considerably longer period of use compared to the archaeological ones. The combination of ethnohistorical and ethnographic sources with the application of archaeological methodologies to the analysis of both ethnographic and archaeological assemblages has enabled a better understanding of the role shell tools played in these societies, as well as a direct assessment of the strengths and limitations inherent to each of these disciplinary approaches.
Seaweed is widely consumed along the Pacific Coast West of the Andes. Previous work has stressed the chronological depth and traditional knowledge involved in seaweed exploitation, suggesting significant spatial variability and diverging historical trajectories. Here we offer a comparative discussion describing the gathering, distribution, and consumption patterns of these resources. We compiled the available information from archaeological, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic sources on this macroregion and link them to local cultural and environmental conditions. Six areas with different geomorphological, ecological, and cultural backgrounds are defined. Some of the major trends are the coexistence of traditional and modern exploitation modes driven by local and transnational demand; and, on the other hand, a persistence throughout the region of large-scale distribution systems of seaweed reaching the Western slope of the Andes. We suggest the existence of at least two clearly differentiated modes of seaweed exploitation: one on coastal northern Peru and another on coastal south-central Chile, with different gathering practices, uses, economic drivers, and Indigenous knowledge systems.
Increased flooding from storms, hurricanes, and gradual changes in sea levels pose significant threats to Florida's valuable cultural and archaeological resources, which include over 253,000 historic structures, historic cemeteries, National Register of Historic Places properties, and resource groups. This study investigates the impact of storm surge, sea level rise, and high tide flooding on these resources along Florida's coastline. While some efforts have been made to assess these impacts, no comprehensive analysis exists to guide stakeholders in prioritizing actions for documentation, preservation, and funding allocation. Notable efforts, such as those by the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Public Archaeology Network's Heritage Monitoring Scout program have contributed to understanding the scope of these threats. However, a gap remains in synthesizing this information to identify the most at-risk sites. This article builds on existing research to assess, quantify, and highlight vulnerable cultural resources, with a focus on understanding the key factors driving these risks. Our results quantify the exposure of cultural assets to multiple flooding scenarios and highlight priority targets for preservation and resilience planning. These findings offer a preliminary framework for prioritizing preservation efforts which will enable stakeholders to direct limited resources more effectively toward safeguarding Florida's coastal cultural heritage.
In the pre-contact Caribbean, several strategies were used to obtain and manage access to freshwater, especially in locations with a dry climate or with no permanent source. One strategy for accessing coastal aquifers was to dig a hole in the sand and stack large bottomless ceramic vessels, which acted as a well casing. In this paper we report on the first discovery of pot-stack wells in Martinique which were found during an archaeological survey conducted at the Pointe Marin site on the south part of the island. The ceramic vessels used for these wells are attributed to the Middle/Late Cedrosan Saladoid series (ca. AD 400-750). Here we describe the structures and discuss these findings in the context of known pot-lined wells found elsewhere in the Caribbean.
Unlike other Indigenous cultures around the Pacific Rim, ethnographic accounts suggest that the Chumash of California's south-central coast generally did not eat seaweeds. Ethnographic records are also silent on Island Chumash technological use of seagrasses, although archaeological evidence for such use is widespread and dates back 10,000 years. Seaweed and seagrass remains are rarely preserved in Northern Channel Islands archaeological sites, but a growing body of direct and indirect evidence suggests that the Island Chumash regularly harvested them. Here, we report direct macrobotanical evidence from several Island Chumash sites for the harvest of seaweeds and seagrasses. At Limuw Cave (CA-SCRI-128), shell midden deposits dated between about AD 1450 and 1700 produced a variety of perishable plant materials, including redwood, numerous seagrass artifacts, and several types of edible marine algae. At several other Island Chumash village sites dated to the past millennium, carbonized fragments of kelps and other seaweeds were also identified among macrobotanical remains. Current archaeological evidence suggests that the Island Chumash regularly collected and consumed seaweeds. The abundance and wide variety of edible seaweeds found in Santa Barbara Channel waters add to the diversity of marine and terrestrial foods available to the Chumash, helping to explain their very large populations prior to European colonization, and reinforcing the notion that the Island Chumash had ample subsistence and other resources.
