From gathering to discard and beyond: Ethnoarchaeological studies on shellfishing practices in the Solomon Islands

Abstract

Shell-bearing archaeological sites in tropical island environments are subject to various environmental and human influences, which affect how a site forms and transforms over time. The immense range of species diversity in the tropical Indo-Pacific marine province means that marine subsistence practices may vary between different environmental zones and groups of people. Shellfish are an important coastal resource that is relatively low cost to gather and process. Island Melanesia is rich in zones of mangrove forest, intertidal rocky shore, sandy beaches and reefs, all of which support certain species of shellfish that can be used for food or raw materials for artefact production.