How many metric tons of fish in a shell midden? Using zooarchaeological data and geospatial models to estimate Indigenous harvests of fish in Barkley Sound, BC, Canada

Date/Time: 
Saturday, April 30, 2022 - 10:00
Presentation Type: 
Oral
Presentation Format: 
Online - pre-recorded
Author(s): 
Robert  Gustas - University of Victoria
Dylan Hillis - University of Victoria
Jacob  Salmen-Hartley - Parks Canada
Iain  McKechnie - University of Victoria

Zooarchaeological data recovered from shell midden sites are an important focus for coastal archaeology globally. These cultural deposits contain complex records of everyday life and can include millennia of Indigenous fish harvests. In our study area fish represent the most numerous vertebrate skeletal elements in shell middens, yet the composition and absolute quantity of fish contained in these coastal settlement sites is poorly resolved. Here we integrate zooarchaeological bone counts with geospatial data to derive estimates of the total amount of fish biomass represented in five shell midden sites. This approach links the volume of sediments with MNI counts and fish body mass estimates to derive harvested fish biomass. Across the five sites examined in our study area, our geospatial models calculate site volumes ranging from 846-21,833 m3 and our zooarchaeological data suggest that between 3,000-7,000 fish are present per m3 with larger-bodied fish contributing proportionally higher biomass than MNI counts might suggest. We estimate these five sites contain 48,100 m3 of shell midden and 126,000- 243,000.metric tons of harvested fish biomass spanning 4,500 years. These quantitative estimates add detail to the role which ancient Indigenous fisheries had in the marine historical ecology of the North Pacific.