4200 new shell mound sites in the southern Red Sea

TY - JOUR

T1 - 4200 new shell mound sites in the southern Red Sea

AU - Meredith-Williams, Matthew Gregory

AU - Hausmann, Niklas Benedict Marius Johannes

AU - Inglis, Robyn Helen

AU - Bailey, Geoff

PY - 2014/9

Y1 - 2014/9

N2 - This article presents evidence for over 4200 prehistoric shell midden sites distributed on opposite sides of the southern Red Sea. These sites were primarily discovered using survey methods and site location models developed for locating shell midden sites on the Farasan Islands, where over 3000 have been found, and extensively excavated and dated. Combining predictive models with remote sensing, an additional 1200 sites have been detected on the opposite side of the Red Sea, centred on the Dahlak Islands in Eritrea. Before these discoveries on the Farasan and Dahlak Archipelagos, the number of published prehistoric shell midden sites in the southern Red Sea was less than 20. Combined, these sites represent a significant addition to the prehistoric coastal archaeology of the region. These new shell midden sites, and their apparent similarities on the two opposing coastlines, may indicate evidence of cultural contacts across the Red Sea during the Holocene Red Sea.

AB - This article presents evidence for over 4200 prehistoric shell midden sites distributed on opposite sides of the southern Red Sea. These sites were primarily discovered using survey methods and site location models developed for locating shell midden sites on the Farasan Islands, where over 3000 have been found, and extensively excavated and dated. Combining predictive models with remote sensing, an additional 1200 sites have been detected on the opposite side of the Red Sea, centred on the Dahlak Islands in Eritrea. Before these discoveries on the Farasan and Dahlak Archipelagos, the number of published prehistoric shell midden sites in the southern Red Sea was less than 20. Combined, these sites represent a significant addition to the prehistoric coastal archaeology of the region. These new shell midden sites, and their apparent similarities on the two opposing coastlines, may indicate evidence of cultural contacts across the Red Sea during the Holocene Red Sea.

U2 - 10.11141/ia.37.2

DO - 10.11141/ia.37.2

M3 - Article

SN - 1363-5387

VL - 37

JO - Internet Archaeology

JF - Internet Archaeology

IS - 2

ER -