Midden

This article is about archaeological remains, known in Spanish as "conchales". For the municipality in São Paulo, Brazil, see Conchal. For other uses, see Midden (disambiguation).

A closeup of a shell midden in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

A midden[a] is an old dump for domestic waste.[1] It may consist of animal bones, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation.

These features provide a useful resource for archaeologists who wish to study the diets and habits of past societies. Middens with damp, anaerobic conditions can even preserve organic remains in deposits as the debris of daily life are tossed on the pile. Each individual toss will contribute a different mix of materials depending upon the activity associated with that particular toss. During the course of deposition sedimentary material is deposited as well. Different mechanisms, from wind and water to animal digs, create a matrix which can also be analysed to provide seasonal and climatic information. In some middens individual dumps of material can be discerned and analysed.[2]


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  1. ^ Brinton, DG (1866). "Artificial Shell-deposits of the United States". Reports. Washington: Smithsonian Institution.
  2. ^ Stein, Julie (2000). Exploring Coast Salish Prehistory: The Archaeology of San Juan Island.