Tracing Coastal Resilience in Sri Lanka
This thesis investigates long-term interactions between coastal human communities and their environment in northwestern Sri Lanka by studying shell midden sites through field archaeology and archaeomalacological analysis. Applying a historical ecological framework, it explores human–marine mollusk relationships during the late Pleistocene and Holocene periods. Despite the abundance of coastal shell deposits across South Asia, early coastal foraging remains poorly understood due to limited archaeological investigation. To address this gap, the study employs a multiproxy approach across three shell-bearing site types from the Mannar–Jaffna seaboard, integrating macroscopic taphonomy, stratigraphic profiling, scientific dating, and malacological quantification to evaluate site formation processes and human behavioral patterns.
The findings reveal significant spatial and temporal variability among shell deposits, reflecting differing depositional histories and preservation conditions. Pleistocene assemblages suggest limited but targeted shellfish collection within dynamic estuarine settings, whereas late Holocene shell middens provide stronger evidence for systematic harvesting, processing, and disposal practices. The study also contributes archaeological perspectives to debates on the origins of pearl fisheries in the Gulf of Mannar by situating shell exploitation within broader systems of marine resource use and coastal occupation.
Taphonomic evidence demonstrates how natural and cultural processes jointly shape shell deposits and affect the visibility of behavioral signals. Rather than viewing shell middens solely as refuse or environmental proxies, this thesis interprets them as palimpsests of adaptive coastal lifeways, contributing to broader discussions on coastal resilience, human ecological agency, and the deep human history of South Asia.