Ancient Shellfish Mariculture on the Northwest Coast of North America

TLDR

Archaeologists recognize extensive terrestrial ecosystem management by non‑agricultural societies, yet marine ecosystem management has largely been overlooked. The study documents how Northwest Coast First Nations cultivated clams to maintain and increase productivity by integrating Indigenous ecological knowledge, coastal geomorphology, and archaeological data. The authors surveyed and excavated clam gardens—walled intertidal terraces—in four British Columbia sites to examine their morphology, construction, ecological and social context, and establish their earliest ages. The data reveal extensive traditional maricultural systems among coastal First Nations, prompting a broader definition of “forager” for Northwest Coast peoples, and underscore the value of integrating diverse knowledge types to understand the social and ecological contexts of traditional management.

Abstract

While there is increasing recognition among archaeologists of the extent to which non-agricultural societies have managed their terrestrial ecosystems, the traditional management of marine ecosystems has largely been ignored. In this paper, we bring together Indigenous ecological knowledge, coastal geomorphological observations, and archaeological data to document how Northwest Coast First Nations cultivated clams to maintain and increase productivity. We focus on “clam gardens,” walled intertidal terraces constructed to increase bivalve habitat and productivity. Our survey and excavations of clam gardens in four locations in British Columbia provide insights into the ecological and social context, morphology, construction, and first reported ages of these features. These data demonstrate the extent of traditional maricultural systems among coastal First Nations and, coupled with previously collected information on terrestrial management, challenge us to broaden our definition of “forager” as applied to Northwest Coast peoples. This study also highlights the value of combining diverse kinds of knowledge, including archaeological data, to understand the social and ecological contexts of traditional management systems.