Abstract

This research uses a subset of data which contributes to a larger project focusing on shellfish analysis and harvesting strategies from the Dundas Islands Group in northern British Columbia. Relative ages of bivalves obtained from growth increment profiles of the Butter clam (Saxidomus gigantea) were identified in order to examine variability in site-level collection strategies. The results from two camps and two villages indicate intensive levels of shellfish collection at these locations. This suggests that that shellfish were an important dietary contribution, and may have played a critical role in sustaining the population at village sites.