Whaleback Shell Midden
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Whaleback Shell Midden is a shell midden, or dump, consisting primarily of oyster shells located on the east side of the Damariscotta River in Maine, United States. It is preserved as a Maine state historic site and was included as part of the Damariscotta Oyster Shell Heaps listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. Other shell middens are located on the estuary in both Damariscotta and Newcastle.[1] The middens in this area were formed over about 1,000 years between 200 BC to AD 1000.
The midden originally had three main layers of shells. In the bottom two layers, individual shells were generally 5–8 inches (10–20 cm) long. These two layers are separated by a layer of soil, and the middle layer is mixed with animal bones. The top layer contains smaller shells. Artifacts unearthed lead scientists to believe that successive tribes of prehistoric people used the area. The top layer was deposited by members of the Abenaki tribes that fished in the area in the summer.[2]
Originally, the Whaleback midden was more than thirty feet deep, more than 1,650 feet in length, and a width varying from 1,320 to 1,650 feet. It got its name from its shape. Only a small portion of this midden remains today as much of it was processed into chicken feed from 1886 to 1891 by the Massachusetts-based Damariscotta Shell and Fertilizer company. Because of this, the Glidden midden, located across the river in Newcastle, is now the largest in Maine and the largest on the U.S. east coast north of Georgia.
Contents
State historic site
The area around the remains of the Whaleback is a Maine state historic site, first opened for a full season in 2005, with some historical displays and a hiking trail.[3][4]
Oyster culturing
By 1875 oysters that were once abundant were no longer native to New England waters.[5] Wild populations have been established in recent years by the spawn of aquaculture oysters.[6]
Gallery
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A gully running through the midden to the Damariscotta River.
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Whaleback Shell Midden oyster shell closeup - 20070722 07982.JPG
Closeup of one of the thousand year old oyster shells.
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Damariscotta River and Glidden Shell Midden - 20070722 07991.JPG
The Glidden Shell Midden is located immediately across the Damariscotta River.
See also
References
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- Whaleback Shell Midden Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A compilation of articles and annotations on shell middens in the area.
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- Pages with broken file links
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- Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine
- Pre-statehood history of Maine
- Protected areas of Lincoln County, Maine
- Maine state historic sites
- Shell middens in the United States
- Archaeological sites in Maine
- Damariscotta, Maine
- National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Maine
