Harvest of the Soft-Shell Clam (Mya arenaria) by Malaga Island, Maine, Residents From 1865 to 1912 Occurred Primarily in the Fall and Winter Based on Incremental Growth Assessment

摘要: ABSTRACTSclerochronological analysis of Mya arenaria shells from archeological sites can provide valuable information on the lifestyles sites' inhabitants. Inhabited ca. 1860 to 1912, Malaga Island, Maine, was home a marginalized, mixed-race community which only scant historical records remain. Our study analyzes M. three horizons shell middens at two house sites, utilizing incremental growth assessment, age, and rate determine harvest behavior Island community. We examined modern clams nearby site estimate pattern line deposition in so we could accurately season midden clams. results indicate that, throughout Malaga's historic inhabitation, islanders consistently harvested between September March, suggesting that they were selling cod fisheries as bait, though it is also possible relied for food. Large up...