Shellfish Exploitation in the Western Canary Islands Over the Last Two Millennia

Wesley Parker, Yurena Yanes, Eduardo Mesa Hernández, Juan Carlos Hernández Marrero, Jorge Pais, Nora Soto Contreras and Donna Surge

Environmental Archaeology, 2020, vol. 25, issue 1, 14-36

Abstract: The residents of the Canary Archipelago consumed limpets since the arrival of humans ∼2500 yrs. ago, and these harvested gastropods were deposited in large coastal shell middens. This work preliminarily explores shell margin oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) and body size of the black limpet (Patella candei d’Orbigny, 1840) from archaeological sites in the Canary Islands to assess possible seasonal variability and intensity of shellfish collection throughout the late Holocene. The shell margin δ18O values of 100 shells (radiocarbon dated between ∼500 and ∼1800 cal. yr BP) were analysed to estimate sea surface temperature (SST) at time of death. Paleotemperature estimates suggest shellfish harvesting was not year-round, and was avoided in the cooler months (when SST

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/14614103.2018.1497821

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