Abstract

Although vertebrate remains such as those of salmon, sea otter, deer and sea birds are relatively abundant in midden sites in Prince Rupert Harbour, invertebrate remains are by far the dominant fauna at sites in this area, and shell remains are often the primary component of midden deposits. However, invertebrate remains at sites around Prince Rupert have received little attention, and prehistoric shellfishing as an important and organised economic activity in the harbour area has not been considered. Emphasising in this paper the capacity of shell remains to inform us about settlement, subsistence, and household organisation on the Northwest Coast, I discuss ethnographic and ethnohistoric information on aboriginal shellfishing practices in Prince Rupert Harbour and in other areas on the Coast, and I present and discuss new (preliminary) data on size, abundance and variability of shell remains from column samples at four prehistoric middens in Prince Rupert Harbour.