Shell Middens and Sea-Levels: Inferring Environmental Change from Archaeological Marine Faunal Assemblages

Abstract

This research project focuses on the potential of archaeological evidence to address questions about environmental change. Specifically, the aim of the project was to examine the relationship between coastal shell midden sites and proposed sea-level fluctuations in the Mid- to Late- Holocene on the east coast of northern New South Wales, using marine faunal assemblages from two sites located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. I examine the history of attitudes to the relation between sea-level and coastal economies in and outside Australia. This study realises the fact that there are extensive shell midden sites along the Australian coastline, they are relatively easy to radiocarbon date, and they often contain large amounts of marine fauna. Marine faunal ecological studies indicate that fish and shellfish are susceptible to a changing environment, and therefore their adaptive responses to changing conditions and habitat should be evidenced in the archaeological record.