Mesolithic and Neolithic shell middens in western Scotland: a comparative analysis of shellfish exploitation patterns, by Clive Bonsall and Catriona Pickard
Shell midden sites are a common feature of the West Scottish Mesolithic and are distributed along mainland coasts and several of the Inner Hebridean Islands. This paper provides an overview of the shell-fishing practices of coastal foragers in the region. A comparative analysis of the shellfish exploitation practices at four midden sites, An Corran, Carding Mill Bay, Rascoille Cave and Ulva Cave, is presented.
Over 30 species of shellfish were represented in the middens. However, only two genera are common, limpet (Patella spp.) and periwinkle (Littorina spp.). Both species have been widely used as food or as fish bait. Variation in species representation between the middens is observed. This can be attributed in part to distinct sampling and/or recovery strategies, but also to local differences in shore substrate, topography and exposure. Changing patterns of shellfish exploitation within the middens attests to intensification and/or increased environmental pressure over time.
Certain species (e.g. European cowrie [Trivia monacha], edible oyster [Ostrea edulis] and scallop [Pecten maximus]) were specifically collected for use as raw material in the manufacture of utensils and adornments. The consistent occurrence of incidental species provides insight into a diverse range of economic activities conducted at the sites. The presence or absence of certain species (e.g. thick top shell [Monodonta lineata] and the European abalone [Haliotis tuberculata]) attests to changing sea temperatures in the mid-Holocene.
https://www.academia.edu/9745960/Mesolithic_and_Neolithic_shell_middens_in_western_Scotland_a_comparative_analysis_of_shellfish_exploitation_patterns
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road