GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF SHELL MIDDENS ON THE DELAWARE BAY: INSIGHTS INTO CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY

Shell middens along the Delaware Bay provide vital geoarchaeological records of Indigenous lifeways and environmental interactions. However, many of these deposits lack precise chronological data, leaving gaps in understanding their cultural and environmental histories. This study integrates prior radiocarbon dating results to establish a timeline for midden creation and incorporates new findings to refine the temporal framework.

Two middens on the East Point Peninsula, NJ, were investigated using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), artifact analysis, and radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon dates from charcoal, shell, and new findings establish that the area was occupied during the Woodland and into the proto-historic periods. This refined timeline offers insights into the creation of these middens, the long-term use of estuarine resources, and patterns of human adaptation to environmental changes.

By integrating past studies with new findings, this research enhances interpretations of cultural heritage, environmental adaptation, and ecosystem stability, highlighting the interconnectedness of human activities and environmental changes in the Delaware Bay region.