A midden, also known as a kitchen midden, is a dump for domestic waste. For other uses see Water treatment and Land reclamation. A landfill, also known as a dump (and historically as The word is of Scandinavian via Middle English derivation, but is used by archaeologists worldwide to describe any kind of feature containing waste products relating to day-to-day human life. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos They may be convenient, single-use pits created by nomadic groups or long-term, designated dumps used by sedentary communities that accumulate over several generations. Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that Sedentary lifestyle is a medical Neologism used to denote a type of Lifestyle most commonly found in modern (particularly Western) cultures In the latter case, a midden's stratigraphy can become apparent. Stratigraphy, a branch of Geology, studies rock layers and layering ( stratification)
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General middens
Midden deposits can contain a variety of archaeological material, including animal bone, feces, shell, botanical material, vermin, sherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation. Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce Feces, faeces, or fæces (see spelling differences) is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the Anus Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of Disease. In Archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of Pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments The term debitage refers to the totality of waste material produced during Lithic reduction and the production of Chipped stone tools This Assemblage In Archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological These features, therefore, provide a useful resource for archaeologists who wish to study the diet and habits of past societies. Feature in archaeology and especially Excavation has several different but allied meanings Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos This article is primarily about the human diet For a discussion of animal diets see List of feeding behaviours. Middens with damp, anaerobic conditions can even preserve organic remains which can be analyzed to obtain information regarding climate and seasonal use. For other uses of the term "hypoxia" see Hypoxia. Hypoxia or oxygen depletion is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments Organic matter (or organic material) is Matter that has come from a once-living Organism; is capable of Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of
Generally, a midden is laid down in deposits as the debris of daily life are tossed on the pile. Each individual toss will contribute a different mix of materials depending upon the activity associated with that particular toss. During the course of deposition, sedimentary material is desposited as well, by any number of mechanism, from wind and water to animal digs. This creates a matrix which can also be analyzed to provide seasonal and climatic information. In some middens individuals dumps of material can be discerned and analysed. [1]
Examples
The East Chisenbury midden is a famous example of a large dump, dating to the 1st millennium BC. Enford is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Wiltshire. The 1st millennium BC encompasses the Iron Age and sees the rise of successive empires Situated on Salisbury Plain in the United Kingdom, the midden mound contains numerous discrete layers of flint, charcoal, bones, pottery and excrement. Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Flint (or flintstone) is a hard sedimentary Cryptocrystalline form of the Mineral Quartz, categorized as a variety of Chert Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation It survives to a height of 2. 5 m and measures 140 m in width despite 2,500 years of weathering. The accumulation is believed by some archaeologists to have a ritual basis, with organised deposition of waste suggested as an explanation for its size and longevity. A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions Middens in SW Greenland indicate the prevalence and eventual decline of society there.
Shell middens
A shell midden or shell mound is midden comprised mainly of mollusk shells. Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 Like all middens, shell middens also contain the debris of human activity and remains of their meals. Some shell middens are processing remains: areas where aquatic resources were processed directly after harvest and prior to use or storage in a distant location. Some shell middens are directly associated with villages, as a designated village dump site. In other middens the material is directly associated with houses in the village; each house would dump their garbage directly outside the house. In all cases, shell middens are extremely complex and very difficult to excavate fully and exactly. However, the fact that they contain a detailed record of what food was eaten or processed and many fragments of stone tools and household goods makes them invaluable objects of archaeological study. A stone tool is in the most general sense any Tool made of stone. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos
Shell have a high calcium carbonate content, which tends to make the middens alkaline. Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 In Chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: Al-Qaly القلي القالي) is a basic, ionic salt of an Alkali metal This slows the normal rate of decay caused by soil acidity, leaving a relatively high proportion of organic evidence (food remnants, organic tools) available for archaeologists to find. [2]
The archaeological study of shell middens began in Denmark in the latter half of the 19th century. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Danish word for shell mound or midden mound køkkenmødding or koekken-moedding is now used internationally.
Examples
Shell middens are found in coastal zones all over the world. Consisting mostly of mollusc shells, they are interpreted as being the waste products of meals eaten by nomadic groups or hunting parties. Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000 Some are small examples relating to meals had by a handful of individuals, others are many metres in length and width and represent centuries of shell deposition. In Brazil they are known as sambaquis, having been created over a long period between the 6th millennium BC and the beginning of European colonisation. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld During the 6th millennium BC, Agriculture spreads from the Balkans to Italy and Eastern Europe and from Mesopotamia to Egypt.
On Canada's west coast there are shell middens that run for more than a kilometer along the coast and are several meters deep. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page [3] The midden in Namu, British Columbia is over 9 meters deep and spans over 10,000 years of continuous occupation. Namu is a small fishing port former cannery town and First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia, Canada.
Shell middens created in coastal regions of Australia by indigenous Australians hold particularly significance in Australia today. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Aboriginals were a hunter-gatherer nomadic people who left no permanent structures, and middens provide evidence of prior occupation in native title claims and indigenous cultural assessment of mining and other developments. Some caution should be exercised in interpreting whether these middens were man-made or developed by natural wave action. One would expect hunter-gatherers to efficiently harvest only edible shellfish and transport them to a secluded campsite to cook and eat. Yet many of these middens contain a high proportion of small and non-edible shells, and the sites are often on exposed promontories devoid of wood fuel. There are good examples on the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania where wave action currently is combining charcoal from forest fire debris with a mix of shells into masses that storms deposit above high water mark. Shell mounds near Weipa in far north Queensland that are up to 13 meters high and several hundred meters long were originally considered to be middens, but are now attributed to natural causes. [1]
Other definitions
The word "midden" is still in everyday use in Scotland, and has come by extension, to refer to anything that is a mess, including people. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In West Yorkshire a midden is an outdoor toilet, typically in the back yards of terraced houses. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of Often attached to this small building is an outhouse which houses dustbins.
See also
References
- ^ Stein, Julie (2000). A pack rat, also called a trade rat or wood rat, can be any of several Species in the genus Neotoma, but most commonly the The Emeryville Shellmound, in Emeryville California, is a once-massive archaeological shell Midden deposit (dark highly organic Soil containing Green Mound is one of the largest Pre-Columbian shell mounds or shell middens, in the United States. A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves Urban archaeology is a sub discipline of archaeology specialising in the material past of Towns and Cities where long-term human habitation has often left a rich record Whaleback Shell Midden is a shell midden, or dump comprised primarily of Oyster shells located on the east side of the Damariscotta River in Exploring Coast Salish Prehistory: The Archaeology of San Juan Island. Washington: University of Washington Press. ISBN 0295979577.
- ^ Whaleback Shell Midden. Whaleback Shell Midden. Retrieved on 2006-05-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
- ^ Stein, Julie (1992). Deciphering a Shell Midden. Academic Press. ISBN 0126647305.
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Dictionary
midden
-noun
- A dungheap.
- A refuse heap usually near a dwelling.
- (archaeology) prehistoric pile of bones and shells.
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