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Mya Arenaria And Oxygen Isotopes: An Analysis To Suggest Season Of Occupation At Holmes Point East (62-6), Holmes Point West (62-8), And Joves Cove (44-13), Maine, Emily Blackwood
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The ratio of oxygen isotopes (ẟ18O) derived from archaeological bivalves can be used to suggest whether a site was occupied seasonally or year-round. To address the question of seasonality at three archaeological shell midden sites along the coast of Maine, modern samples of the soft-shelled clam, Mya arenaria, were collected from tidal mudflats associated with each site once a month for one year. An average of six modern shells per month were analyzed with their resulting ẟ18O values used to establish monthly ranges to which the archaeological samples of Mya arenaria were assigned; association of the archaeological shells to a …