The status of minority species and young individuals of the terrestrial malacofauna in Capsian and Neolithic populations in eastern Maghreb
Saafi, I.; Aouadi, N.; Merzoug, S.; Belhouchet, L. (2023). The status of minority species and young individuals of the terrestrial malacofauna in Capsian and Neolithic populations in eastern Maghreb. PALEO. Revue d'Archéologie Préhistorique Hors-série: 306-314. https://dx.doi.org/10.4000/paleo.8704
In: PALEO. Revue d'Archéologie Préhistorique. Musée National de Préhistoire: France. e-ISSN 2101-0420, more
|   |
| Keyword |
|
| Author keywords |
land snails, minority species, young individuals, Capsian, Neolithic, Eastern Maghreb |
| Authors | | Top |
- Saafi, I.
- Aouadi, N.
- Merzoug, S.
- Belhouchet, L.
|
|
|
| Abstract |
The rammadiyet (or “escargotières”) in the Eastern Maghreb are enormous shell-midden complexes made by people during the Capsian Epipalaeolithic and the Neolithic. Mollusc assemblages in all rammadiyet are dominated by between one to four land snail species. Other, rarer – minority - species, and young land snails are present in all these sites. Of these minority and young molluscs, only large species, such as Cornu aspersum, could have contributed to human diets, but their numbers are so low that this contribution was minimal. The presence of these minority species and young specimens might be explained in four ways: collection errors (unintentional collection or by necessity), archaeological (minor presence in the excavated area of the site), ethnographic factors (medicinal or ritual uses) and ecological reasons (rarity during the season of gathering of land snails, or the collection area being unsuitable habitat for these species). |
|
