The archaeology of shellfishing practices on Ua Huka, Marquesas Archipelago (French Polynesia)

Abstract

Shellfish remains are ubiquitous to coastal archaeological sites in the Marquesas but have seldom been the focus of dedicated investigations into their contribution to past diet and daily life. On the island of Ua Huka, in the northern group of the archipelago, people have consumed a variety of shellfish since their arrival on the island around the early 12th century AD. By analysing assemblages from five coastal sites spanning from the early settlement until the 18th century and using an archaeomalacological approach (precise taxonomic identification, coupled quantification methods, observation of taphonomic processes, biometry), we attempt to recount the exploitation processes of this resource, from the initial gathering stage to the final discarding of the shell. We further explore inter-site and temporal variability in prey choice. Coupled with ethnographic accounts from European observers and insightful testimonies from current inhabitants of the island regarding present-day practices, we highlight the persistence of choices regarding species selection, breakage patterns and cooking processes on an island that has seen major subsistence changes since European contact.