Date of Award

12-31-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Historical Archaeology

First Advisor

David B. Landon

Second Advisor

Nedra K. Lee

Third Advisor

Stephen W. Silliman

Abstract

Food-related practices provide marginalized groups with spaces for cultural exchange and asserting agency within colonial contexts, often leading to the formation of new communities and identities. Marine mollusks, due to their widespread accessibility, have a significant role in the cuisines of African Diaspora and Indigenous communities in Latin America. This thesis examines shellfish consumption at Sitio Drago in Bocas del Toro, Panamá, highlighting how shellfish harvesting and communal cooking fostered community expression through local food sources. The study includes analyses of spatial distribution of mollusk species, MNI counts across three temporal periods, and a size distribution of common gastropods. Findings indicate a decline in shellfish consumption around 1200 AD due to population decrease and overharvesting, followed by an increase in the post-Columbian period correlated with European and Afro-Caribbean migration. While there were shifts in mollusk preferences, particular species, such as ark clams, remained consistently relied upon. The research also shows ongoing shared cooking spaces between Indigenous and Afro-Caribbean groups, which facilitated cultural exchange and kinship, leading to a shared cultural identity known as Bocatoreño by the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Comments

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