SHELL MIDDEN FORMATION AT THE BEAGLE CHANNEL

ZANGRANDO, A. F.; TIVOLI, A. M.

Paris

Congreso; 18th UISPP WORLD CONGRESS; 2018

Shell midden formation can be seen as a long-term practice where the generation of these deposits - consciously or unconsciously - would promote subsequent reuses (e.g., Bailey 1977, Piana and Orquera 2010). In this sense, the human exploitation of molluscs and shell accumulations can be seen as a niche construction process for future occupants. The distribution of shell middens along the coast of the Beagle Channel presents a discontinuous conguration, with dense clusters in some sectors and with the absence of occupations along extensive coastal segments. This distributional pattern is also commonly observed in the archaeological record of other coastal environments of the world.There are several factors involved in the shell midden formation: a) Shell deposits do not necessarily represent a gradual accumulation of waste. b) These middens can represent occupations of very varied duration that are expressed independently of the thick of the deposit and the rate of accumulation of the material. c) The formation of shell middens includes the action of several cultural and natural processes that state at variable time spans. d) Reoccupations generate modications on the shell deposits produced by previous occupations in the same sector. The aim of this paper is to analyze natural and cultural processes that operate in the formation of shell middens at the Beagle Channel, and to evaluate their interpretive potential and implications in regard to the mobility and subsistence of human populations in the past.Archaeologists usually rely on radiocarbon analysis for temporal assessments. However, time has many measurable properties in archaeological deposits, which can use as taphochronometric tools (e.g., bone weathering, shell fragmentation, soil formation, etc.) to understand the processes that play in shell midden formation (Wandsnider, 2008). By addressing these issues, the parameters to understand the structure of shell middens and to develop interpretations about dierent behavioral aspects in the past are established.