Scientists can now access information previously hidden within the remains of seashells collected from ancient human food refuse, to provide a much more detailed picture of past climates and populations.
Over their lifetime, marine molluscs build up a calcium carbonate shell, whose composition is influenced by the external environment. In turn, locked within the shell composition is highly detailed climate information. Archaeologists investigating shell debris from ancient settlements, known as shell middens can reconstruct past changes in climate and gain knowledge about the exploitation of coastal resources by human populations.
Further details: Seashells provide climate and archaeological data