ABSTRACT

Sea mussels and turban snails are among the most abundant mollusks recovered from central California middens. Experimental harvests of these and other shellfish have been conducted to help interpret archaeological findings, but methodological complications have plagued many of the early experiments. Here we report results of harvest experiments of mussels and turban snails completed between 2016 and 2022 on the Pecho coast of San Luis Obispo County. We developed a local formula to convert umbo thickness measurements into whole mussel valve length, and this article reports new return rates, including one of over 1,500 kcal/hour for mussels obtained by an experienced shellfish collector. This rate demonstrates the importance of accumulated knowledge in subsistence experiments, and suggests that mussels have higher dietary potential than previously thought. Archaeological mussel size profiles suggest that a selective (plucking-like) strategy was associated with sustainable harvest for at least the last 5,000 years on the Pecho coast.

摘要

海贻贝和头巾蜗牛是从加利福尼亚中部的贝壳中发现的数量最多的软体动物。已经对这些和其他贝类进行了实验收获，以帮助解释考古发现，但方法上的复杂性困扰着许多早期实验。在这里，我们报告了 2016 年至 2022 年间在圣路易斯奥比斯波县佩乔海岸完成的贻贝和头巾蜗牛收获实验的结果。我们开发了一个本地公式，用于将 umbo 厚度测量值转换为整个贻贝瓣膜长度，本文报告了新的回报率，其中包括一位经验丰富的贝类采集者获得的贻贝超过 1,500 kcal/hour 的回报率。这个比率证明了在生存实验中积累知识的重要性，并表明贻贝具有比以前认为的更高的饮食潜力。考古学上的贻贝大小概况表明，至少在过去 5,000 年里，Pecho 海岸的一种选择性（类似采摘的）策略与可持续收获有关。