Abstract Time resolution of shell middens is normally addressed through estimation of shell accumulation rates, where calculations are based on radiocarbon analysis. Density values by volume or discard rates by time units are also normally estimated for comparative purposes. In this paper, we support the idea that time has many measurable properties in archaeological deposits. These can be used as tapho-chronometric tools (e.g., bone weathering, shell fragmentation, soil formation, etc.) to identify differential time-averaging in shell midden formation, and to evaluate their archaeological implications regarding the material record. One site in the Beagle Channel, Argentina, was chosen to (a) demonstrate how different processes that interact in shell midden formation can provide information on temporal resolution and (b) discuss the implications of the time-averaged properties of shell middens for different analytical approaches and methodological pathways. Results show that several factors involved in the formation of mounds should be addressed prior to advancing interpretations about different behavioral aspects of the past: a) shell deposits do not necessarily represent a gradual accumulation of waste; b) these middens can represent occupations of varied duration that are expressed independently of both the thickness of the deposit and the rate of accumulation of the material; c) the formation of shell middens includes the actions of several cultural and natural processes that occur over variable time spans; d) re-occupations modify the shell deposits produced by previous occupations in the same location. Finally, we argue that to explore shell middens as time-averaged records helps to clarify distinctive aspects of mound formation, which in turn have significant effects on archaeological interpretations.

中文翻译：

---

通过测井测时工具探索贝壳层的形成：阿根廷比格尔海峡的案例研究

摘要 壳层的时间分辨率通常通过估计壳层积累率来解决，其中计算基于放射性碳分析。体积密度值或时间单位丢弃率通常也用于比较目的。在本文中，我们支持这样一种观点，即时间在考古沉积物中具有许多可测量的特性。这些可用作挖掘计时工具（例如，骨风化、贝壳碎裂、土壤形成等），以识别贝壳形成中的差异时间平均，并评估它们对材料记录的考古意义。阿根廷比格尔海峡的一处，被选择来 (a) 展示在贝壳形成中相互作用的不同过程如何提供关于时间分辨率的信息，以及 (b) 讨论贝壳的时间平均特性对不同分析方法和方法学途径的影响。结果表明，在推进对过去不同行为方面的解释之前，应该解决与土墩形成有关的几个因素： a) 贝壳沉积不一定代表废物的逐渐积累；b) 这些中间层可以代表不同持续时间的职业，这些职业独立于沉积物的厚度和材料的积累速度；c) 贝壳的形成包括在不同时间跨度内发生的几种文化和自然过程的作用；d) 重新占领修改了同一地点以前的占领所产生的贝壳沉积物。最后，我们认为探索贝壳堆作为时间平均记录有助于澄清土墩形成的独特方面，这反过来又对考古解释产生重大影响。