Tam Smith

Coastal palaeoeconomies

As an archaeomalacologist who has worked in coastal southeast Queensland for the last 30 years, as well as more recently in Zanzibar and Sri Lanka, I use detailed analyses of molluscan assemblages, combined with biological, ecological, and environmental data to assess human behavioural variability through the identification of chronological and spatial trends in site location and resource exploitation, within the context palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. I use molluscan biometrics to determine levels of exploitation, economic strategies and harvesting practices, evidence of resource depletion and sustainability. The molluscs also act as paleoenvironmental proxies, informing on water quality, salinity levels, and sediment loads.