From Meals to Midden: Reconstructing Shellfish Exploitation Practices in Vanuatu, Efate

Anika1*, Stuart Bedford1, and Iarawai Phillip2

Shell midden assemblages from Pang Pang and Teouma on Efate, Vanuatu, provide a valuable dataset for investigating long-term patterns of human environment interaction and coastal resource exploitation in the Indo-Pacific. This study employs zooarchaeometric approaches, including morphometric analysis and quantitative abundance metrics, to examine species representation and temporal changes in shell size within archaeological assemblages. Results indicate a significant reduction in average shell size in later occupation layers, suggesting increased harvesting pressure and progressive resource intensification through time. In contrast, earlier depositional contexts exhibit greater size variability, including juvenile specimens, consistent with more opportunistic collection strategies during initial settlement phases. Ethnographic analogues further support the interpretation of spatial harvesting patterns as evidence of targeted exploitation for subsistence purposes. These findings demonstrate how quantitative archaeometric analysis of shell midden assemblages can illuminate shifting subsistence strategies and human impacts on coastal ecosystems, contributing to broader debates concerning adaptation, sustainability, and resource management in Pacific Island societies.