Temporal and spatial variability of prehistoric aquatic resource procurement: a case study from Mesolithic Northern Iberia.

ABSTRACT: Prehistoric shell middens hold valuable evidence of past human-environment interactions. In this study, we used carbon (δ¹³C) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) stable isotopes of Mytilus galloprovincialis shells excavated from El Perro, La Fragua and La Chora, three Mesolithic middens in Cantabria, Northern Spain, to examine hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies in terms of seasonality and collection areas. Furthermore, we used shell δ¹⁸O to reconstruct water temperature during the early Holocene. Stable isotopes reveal a shellfish harvesting diversification trend represented by the gradual establishment of the upper estuaries as new procurement areas and an increase of harvesting mobility in both coastal and in-land sites. These innovations in subsistence strategies duri

SUBMITTER: Milano S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8873316 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature