On Tuesday, September 5th, the monthly meeting of the St. Augustine Archaeological Association will be held. A talk will be given by Dr. Jessica A. Jenkins titled, What Can the Shell Tell? Oysters & Archaeology.
Thousands of oyster middens and mounds filled with billions of oyster shells line the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. In the past, archaeologists did not pay much attention to these shells except to note their presence, oftentimes not even collecting them in the field. Recently, archaeologists have begun to use archaeological oyster shells to address important questions about past lifeways and human-environmental interactions.
In this talk, Dr. Jessica A. Jenkins will describe her research in Florida and Virginia that centers on ... view more »
Thousands of oyster middens and mounds filled with billions of oyster shells line the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America. In the past, archaeologists did not pay much attention to these shells except to note their presence, oftentimes not even collecting them in the field. Recently, archaeologists have begun to use archaeological oyster shells to address important questions about past lifeways and human-environmental interactions.
In this talk, Dr. Jessica A. Jenkins will describe her research in Florida and Virginia that centers on questions related to past oyster harvesting, processing, and deposition practices. Major themes in her research include the investigation of past common pool resource management practices, the role of shellfish harvesting in the development of complex socio-ecological systems, and how past practices can inform modern policy and sustainability efforts on the Gulf Coast and in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
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