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Archaeomalacology Working Group—

Phylum Mollusca is the second-largest phylum in existence, and many species of molluscs have been of importance to humans over the course of time. From the Paleolithic, shellfish have been utilized as a food source, and in many areas and cultures around the world, shells were important raw materials for artifact manufacture. Archaeological mollusc remains originating from marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments have been used to inform us about aspects of prehistoric and historic life such as diet, paleo-environmental, status and change, trade and exchange, and artifact production.

At the 2002 ICAZ International Conference in Durham, England, several ICAZ members who recognized the importance of molluscs in the zooarchaeological record met to discuss the formation of an Archaemalacology Working Group (AMWG). The AMWG's mission is the liberal exchange of data and information about molluscs in the archaeological record. This encompasses both methods and theories relating to the analysis of such remains as well as creating an environment where specifics could be discussed amongst a group of peers. The AMWG encourages the publication of information related to these forums.

While many AMWG members are subscribed to the more general Zooarch email list, the group also has an independent email list, archaeomalacology@yahoogroups.com. Our website is managed by Katherine Szabo, the group’s coordinator, at http://triton.anu.edu.au/. The website hosts a newsletter, archaeo+malacology group newsletter, edited by Janet Ridout-Sharpe.

The group meets every two years, alternating between symposia within ICAZ and independent meetings that include field trips.

  • August 2002: Durham, UK. Session within the ICAZ conference, coordinated by Daniella Bar-Yosef.
  • February 2005: Gainesville, Florida, USA, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, coordinated by Irv Quitmyer and Katherine Szabo.
  • August 2006: Mexico, session within ICAZ conference, coordinated by Canan Cakirlar and Victoria Stosel.
  • February 2008: Santander, Spain, under the auspices of Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria, coordinated by Esteban Álvarez-Fernández and Diana Carvajal-Contreras.
  • August 2010: Paris, France, session within ICAZ conference, coordinated by Katherine Szabo, Vesna Dimitrijevic, Catherine Dupont, Sándor Gulyás, Nathalie Serrand & Luis Gómez Gastélum.

    • The next meeting is planned as an independent meeting in Australia. Additional information will appear on our website when it will be available.

    We aim to publish proceedings of all meetings. The following proceedings were published:

  • Bar-Yosef Mayer, D.E. (ed.), 2005, Archaeomalacology: Molluscs in Former Environments of Human Behaviour. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
  • Special issue of Archaeofauna, volume 17: Molluscs and other marine resources. Guest editors: Katherine Szabo and Irv Quitmyer.
  • Special issue of Munibe, edited by Esteban Álvarez-Fernández and Diana Carvajal-Contreras.

    • The proceedings of the meeting in Mexico are in press and will appear as an edited volume by Oxbow.

    This information was contributed by Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer (baryosef@research.haifa.ac.il), AMWG Liaison to ICAZ, on September 7, 2010.

     
     
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