Sample student fellowship proposal

Project title: The Effect of Human Pressure on the Size of Mya arenaria

Research Problem

Mya arenaria is the main species harvested today in the clamming industry. It is also evident that this species was harvested and consumed by past inhabitants of the land that is now Bowdoin’s Coastal Studies Center. The shell midden at Brewer’s cove is an archaeological assemblage dominated by Mya shell. Typically, clams from such precolonial sites are on average, much larger than modern clams (Sanger, 1987; Chase, 1986; Speiss and Hedden, 1983; Speiss, et al, 1990; Spiess and Lewis, 2001). There are several different factors that could explain the size differences between modern and archaeological samples and its relation to human selection and predation. David Sanger (1987) hypothesizes that it is due to human selection for larger clams by choosing those with corresponding larger siphon holes. The aboriginal inhabitants did not have the modern metal clamming rakes that can turn up many clams with one pass. They using their hands and therefore had to be more selective for clams due to this less efficient gathering technique. Most likely this harvesting was occurring in lower portions of the intertidal than today, where clams can grow larger due to smaller sediment size, making it easier for the clams to borrow deeper and extend siphons (Sanger, 1987). If humans were selecting for these larger clams in the lower intertidal, then one would expect the overall size distribution of clams to be larger. However, this hypothesis fails to account for selection pressure factors.

Comparative data from modern communities of Mya will show whether there are any significant differences in the size profile of Mya that have been subject to varying degrees of human predation. We expect that the archaeological assemblage should mimic areas of low selection pressure where Mya can grow to relatively large sizes (as we assume that the site itself represents several discrete occupation episodes). Additionally, if clams were chosen and removed by hand, many more would be missed and remain to grow to larger sizes than the efficient clamming rakes of today allow. The purpose of this project is to test this hypothesis by conducting a size distribution analysis of modern communities of Mya and comparing that to the Mya assemblage from Brewer Cove. The modern samples will be chosen from sites that represent different degrees of human predation in order to observe any resulting size differences.

Methods

Using the materials from the CSC shell middens, chondrophores of identifiable Mya arenaria will be measured to determine the size of the original clam. Then, working with a student under Professor Lindsay Whitlow on a parallel project, modern clam samples will be retrieved from the field and measured against the midden samples. We will choose samples from sites that are under heavy selection pressure, and from other areas that are under light or no selection pressure. In this way, any resulting effects can be compared. Statistical analysis will explore differences in the average size of the clams over time and in different areas of the site. I will also consult literature to compare data from Brewer Cove to other archaeological studies of Mya size distribution in Maine (Barber, 1982; Spiess and Hedden, 1983). Also, I will be working with Professor Henshaw on the excavation of the Brewer Cove site to unearth additional materials or artifacts.

Experience

As a Visual Arts major and Biology minor, I have taken several biology courses plus archaeology and an anthropology course. In Marine Biology I studied Mya arenaria and its interaction with its environment, as well as focusing on a research project dealing with species’ densities in mudflats. My research concerned the effect of the Dingley Island Causeway in limiting tidal flow to the mudflats, therefore reducing the density of species of animals such as Mya arenaria. Much like what this project will entail, my past research has required the coring of mudflats and the analysis of data. This spring break I will continue working on the remaining core samples and make a complete report on the biological impact of causeway to be used by Coastal America. My Environmental Archaeology course involved working with the materials from the Brewer Cove shell middens. I really enjoyed analyzing the shell fragments and being able to relate the results to the people who had used them and what part it played in their lives. This project provides me with a unique interdisciplinary opportunity to apply my interests in marine science, anthropology, as well as a preference for the hands-on approach of archaeology.

Next year, I plan to study off-campus at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, during our spring semester. This university provides an opportunity for marine science courses with the nearby Great Barrier Reef, as well as visual arts courses. I will be at Bowdoin for next fall where I will present the results of the study in the annual CSC poster presentation. I also hope to pursue an independent study and/or honors project based on the results of my work this summer.

References:

Barber, Russel J. 1982. The Wheeler’s Site A Specialized Shellfish Processing Station on the Merrimack River. Peabody Museum Monographs No 7., Harvard University, Cambridge.

Chase, Thomas H.P. 1986. Shell Midden Seasonality Using Multiple Faunal Indicators: Applications to the Archaeology of Boothbay, Maine. Masters of Science Thesis, Quaternary Studies, University of Maine at Orono.

Sanger, David 1987. The Carson Site and the Late Ceramic Period in Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick. Archaeological Survey of Canada Paper No 135, Mercury Series. Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Spiess, Arthur E. and Mark H. Hedden 1983. Kidder Point and Sears Island in Prehistory. Occasional Publications in Maine Archaeology Number 3. Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Augusta. 103pp.

Spiess, Arthur E., Elizabeth Trautman and Timothy Kupferschmid 1990. Prehistoric Occupation at Reversing Falls. Report on File, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Augusta.

Spiess, Arthur and Robert Lewis. 2001. The Turner Farm Site: 5000 Years of Hunting and Fishing in Penobscot Bay, Maine. Occasional Publications in Maine Archaeology 11. Maine Historical Preservation Commission, Augusta.