On the question of consumption, assuming you're referring to the 4-5" long shell that is usually black on the exterior (at least the ones I saw in the incredibly polluted Tidewater James River in VA), how were they cooked to be edible? All reports I've had, including one attempt on my own, left a rather large rubber pellet;)

Unless they were meant to be consumed as some consume oysters, ie, as sliders.

Lyle Browning


On Jan 24, 2013, at 10:30 AM, Bill wrote:

> Thanks Jim,
> 
> Yes I was aware of the button cottage industry in Delaware, in fact we hit a small deposit on the Route 301 project for DelDOT.  No evidence for making button, purely consumption.
> 
> Bill Liebeknecht
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:12 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Freshwater mussels on 18th century sites
> 
> Probably not the case in your situation, but freshwater mussels were used to make shell buttons. Cheryl Claasen published a SHA monograph on the subject. Delaware sustained a cottage industry in making shell button blanks from imported shell, the blanks then shipped to Connecticut for finishing; but this was in the 20th century, ending abruptly in the early 1990s.
> 
> 
> 
> James G. Gibb
> 
> Gibb Archaeological Consulting
> 
> 2554 Carrollton Road
> 
> Annapolis, Maryland USA ?? 21403
> 
> 443.482.9593 (Land) 410.693.3847 (Cell)
> 
> www.gibbarchaeology.net ? www.porttobacco.blogspot.com
> 
> On 01/24/13, Bill<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Thanks! I will.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Keith Doms
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:15 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Freshwater mussels on 18th century sites
> 
> I think we had 1 or 2 from Block 1191 Wilmington but that is nineteenth century. Check with Alice to see if she had any from Thompson's Loss and Gain.
> 
> KRD
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bill
> Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:06 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Freshwater mussels on 18th century sites
> 
> Recent excavations on an early 18th century site in central Delaware recovered some freshwater mussel shells amongst the faunal remains.
> Normally freshwater mussels are associated with Native American sites in the Middle Atlantic region. This presents the possibility of a Native American presence or interaction with the European inhabitants of the site (circa
> 1720 to 1735). Several glass seed beads recovered from floatation further support this theory. My question is: Has anyone found freshwater mussel shells on non-Native American 18th century sites in the region? 
> 
> Thanks for your input in advance!
> 
> Bill Liebeknecht, MA, RPA
> Principal Investigator
> Hunter Research, Inc.
> Trenton, New Jersey