Far from the shore: comparison of marine invertebrates in midden deposits from two sites in the Norte Chico, Peru

Groups occupying the coast of Peru prior to 6000 BC exploited varied ecological niches including intensive use of maritime resources. By 3000 BC plant cultivation was widespread along the coast, including beans, chili peppers, peanuts, and cotton, watered by canal irrigation. In the Norte Chico region, an extraordinary concentration of sites have been identified that date to the third millennium BC. Midden samples include abundant marine shell and fish bone, but few terrestrial species. We compare marine invertebrates from two sites, one within a few kilometers of the shore, the other 23 km inland. Examining the abundance and diversity of species, we assess possible procurement strategies. The data show little difference with distance from the coast. Shell remains reflect exploitation of both sandy and rocky intertidal zones, primarily for clam and mussel species but with smaller numbers of many other edible species, a strategy of broad-spectrum opportunistic gathering.