An evaluation of central-place foraging among mollusk gatherers in Western Kiribati, Micronesia: linking behavioral ecology with ethnoarchaeology

Contemporary observations of marine foraging in a variety of settings suggest that some mollusks tend to be over-represented in middens because of differential preservation relative to other mollusk species as well as other organisms. Ethnoarchaeologists have often relied on the 'typical' pattern of shell-midden disposal for interpreting variation in assemblage composition in the past. This stems from describing and explaining the material consequences of behavior rather than understanding behavior itself. Behavioral ecology with its concern for the variable costs and benefits in decisions about culling activities and transport of prey types promises to improve the quality of behavioral inferences. This paper examines the relationship between two foraging models, prey choice and central-place, among intertidal/shallow subtidal mollusk gatherers in Western Kiribati, Micronesia, and a comparison is made with similar work previously carried out in the Torres Strait, Australia. Results show that decisions about mollusk culling and transport can be predicted by prey attributes within a cost/benefit framework. The research also highlights unanticipated variability and may contribute to the debate on indigenous conservation of resources.