Shell midden research in Atlantic Europe: State of the art, research problems and perspectives for the future

Gutiérrez-Zugasti, Igor; Andersen, Søren H.; Araújo, Ana Cristina; Dupont, Catherine; Milner, Nicky; Monge-Soares, A.M.

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.02.031

Cited by 128 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Four live Bivalve Tissue-Shell 14 C Age Differences 957 specimens of Mytilus edulis (K-01 to K-04) of varied shell lengths and <5 yr of age were collected from the Kiel Fjord (Table 1). The bivalve species Mytilus edulis, commonly known as blue mussel, is a widely distributed species commonly harvested for human food consumption, and often found within archaeological contexts (Gutiérrez-Zugasti et al 2011).…”

Section: Materials and Descriptive Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mussels with Meat: Bivalve Tissue-Shell Radiocarbon Age Differences and Archaeological Implications

et al. 2012

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ABSTRACT. Local reservoir ages are often estimated from the difference between the radiocarbon ages of aquatic material and associated terrestrial samples for which no reservoir effect is expected. Frequently, the selected aquatic material consists of bivalve shells that are typically well preserved in the archaeological record. For instance, large shell middens attest to the importance of mussel consumption at both coastal and inland sites. However, different physiological mechanisms associated with tissue and shell growth may result in differences in reservoir effects between the surviving component (shell) and the component relevant to dietary reservoir effects in consumers (tissue). The current study examines bivalve tissue-shell age differences both from freshwater and marine contexts close to archaeological sites where human consumption of mollusks has been attested. Results exhibited significant ,4 C age differences between bivalve tissue and shell in a freshwater context. In a marine context, no significant bivalve tissue-shell age differences were observed. The results also showed that riverine and lacustrine shells show large and variable freshwater reservoir effects. The results have important implications for establishing local reservoir effects especially in a freshwater environment. For good a priori knowledge of expected 14 C differences in organic and inorganic water, carbon is thus necessary. Furthermore, the high variability in freshwater shell 14 C ages implies the need for representative sampling from the archaeological record.

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Section: Materials and Descriptive Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mussels with Meat: Bivalve Tissue-Shell Radiocarbon Age Differences and Archaeological Implications

et al. 2012

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“…Marine molluscs are usually found in archaeological sites worldwide (Colonese et al, 2011;Erlandson, 2001;Gutiérrez-Zugasti et al, 2011). Ancient shells can provide a wide range of information on past subsistence strategies (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shell oxygen isotope values and sclerochronology of the limpet Patella vulgata Linnaeus 1758 from northern Iberia: Implications for the reconstruction of past seawater temperatures

Gutiérrez-Zugasti

Suárez-Revilla

Clarke

et al. 2017

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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“…shells in shell middens in Europe, contrasts with the abundance of shells from the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis (e.g. Gutiérrez-Zugasti et al 2011;Drago et al unpublished data) and is an additional argument in support of the hypothesis that C. angulata was introduced from Asia into Europe, rather than being part of its natural range. Shell middens in Portugal (southern Portugal and Tagus River valley) from different periods (Mesolithic and late Islamic occupation of Iberia) contained O. edulis shells but none which were undoubtedly from Crassostrea sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

New insights about the introduction of the Portuguese oyster,Crassostrea angulata, into the North East Atlantic from Asia based on a highly polymorphic mitochondrial region

Grade

Chairi

Lallias

et al. 2016

Aquat. Living Resour.

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-It is commonly presumed that the Portuguese oyster Crassostrea angulata was introduced into the North East (NE) Atlantic from Asia. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of a highly polymorphic non-coding mitochondrial region (major noncoding region -MNR) of C. angulata samples collected in Europe (Portugal), Africa (Morocco) and Asia (Shantou and Taiwan) provided new insight into the introduction of this species into the NE Atlantic. Sixty haplotypes and a nucleotide diversity of 0.0077 were observed in 130 analyzed sequences. Higher nucleotide diversity levels were observed in NE Atlantic sites than in Asian sites and significant genetic differentiation was found between the two. Our results suggest that C. angulata might have been introduced to the NE Atlantic by multiple introductory events, though the exact origins remain unknown since none of the analyzed Asian sites seemed to have been a source of introduction. The nucleotide diversity of C. angulata was higher than that previously reported for Pacific oyster C. gigas in Europe and Asia for the same mitochondrial region. The results obtained in the present study suggest that NE Atlantic C. angulata stocks are a unique genetic resource, which highlights the importance of their conservation.

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Shell midden research in Atlantic Europe: State of the art, research problems and perspectives for the future

Cited by 128 publications

References 38 publications

Mussels with Meat: Bivalve Tissue-Shell Radiocarbon Age Differences and Archaeological Implications

Mussels with Meat: Bivalve Tissue-Shell Radiocarbon Age Differences and Archaeological Implications

Shell oxygen isotope values and sclerochronology of the limpet Patella vulgata Linnaeus 1758 from northern Iberia: Implications for the reconstruction of past seawater temperatures

New insights about the introduction of the Portuguese oyster,Crassostrea angulata, into the North East Atlantic from Asia based on a highly polymorphic mitochondrial region

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