The Midden to Market Approach: Linking Archaeological and Contemporary Shellfish Biodiversity to Address Modern Challenges in Southeast Asian Coastal Environments

Dawn Iva Satumbaga1*, Kristine Kate Lim2,3,7, Astrud Ulili1, Samantha Maryll Martija1, Hermine Xhauflair4,8, Timothy James Vitales2,5, Francisco Claravall2, and Jerone Avel Cansino6

Shell middens and deposits are a common feature in Southeast Asian archaeological sites, especially those with associated coastal environs. Archaeological shell remains are conventionally used to answer questions on past human subsistence and mobility, resource use, and environmental conditions. In parallel, the culturally and economically important practice of shellfish gathering among contemporary coastal communities in Southeast Asia faces modern challenges along these themes. Despite this connection, there is minimal attempt in linking archaeological data from shell remains to contemporary issues in island Southeast Asia other than as a baseline for environmental conservation. This presentation proposes a low-cost analysis approach that uses archaeological shell remains, present-day surveys, and modern shell biodiversity data to answer social-ecological questions that contribute to addressing modern concerns. This approach focuses on applying a proposed environmental zonation, biodiversity comparison, and size analysis as a quantitative and systematic way of contributing to the research themes of resource sustainability, conservation, socio-ecological resilience, and food security. While the approach is designed for studies in island Southeast Asia where environmental and social conditions are relatively similar, the strategy is adaptable to other regions. Insights from an application of this approach in the project Mission Palawan support its potential. Archaeological shell remains from Guri Cave, Palawan were analysed alongside market shells gathered from the same area to understand resilience, contemporary resource use and diversification, and possible vulnerabilities.