Adding a new piece to the puzzle: the Shell Assemblage from Tabacalera, Gijón

The study of molluscs in Spain has mainly been isolated to prehistory. The faunal assemblage of Tabacalera includes marine molluscs from the Roman, medieval and postmedieval layers. This thesis focuses on the analysis of the medieval and post-medieval period, as there is little research done in the wider region of Asturias regarding molluscs from these historical periods This site differs from other sites in neighbouring provinces (Galicia and Léon), where common species, like mussels and oysters are not part of the archaeological record. However, the assemblage mainly presents continuity throughout the different phases of the site, where most of shells were used for consumption, and with limpets as the most abundant species. The diet at Tabacalera does not heavily rely on molluscs but a more complete overview of the subsistence strategy can be derived from this analysis. This study also adds to the overall malacological research of Spain, especially with the identification of...Show moreThe study of molluscs in Spain has mainly been isolated to prehistory. The faunal assemblage of Tabacalera includes marine molluscs from the Roman, medieval and postmedieval layers. This thesis focuses on the analysis of the medieval and post-medieval period, as there is little research done in the wider region of Asturias regarding molluscs from these historical periods This site differs from other sites in neighbouring provinces (Galicia and Léon), where common species, like mussels and oysters are not part of the archaeological record. However, the assemblage mainly presents continuity throughout the different phases of the site, where most of shells were used for consumption, and with limpets as the most abundant species. The diet at Tabacalera does not heavily rely on molluscs but a more complete overview of the subsistence strategy can be derived from this analysis. This study also adds to the overall malacological research of Spain, especially with the identification of limpets to species level. This is done as a start of creating a more indepth archaeomalacological record, in which the differences between close-related species can be investigated.Show less

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Adding a new piece to the puzzle: the Shell Assemblage from Tabacalera, Gijón