Seasonal Patterns of Coastal Exploitation on the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia.

Here we present the results of the analysis of coastal exploitation patterns in the southern Red Sea during the Middle Holocene. We focus on the shell midden cluster of the Farasan Islands, Saudi Arabia, which comprises over 3,000 shell midden sites. These sites date from 6,500 to 4,500 cal BP and are part of an arid landscape. We focus on one site, JW1727, which provides a snapshot of marine exploitation and will help to understand the use of food resources within the region. Stable isotope values (δ18O) were collected from the marine gastropodConomurex fasciatus(Born 1778), which represents 72% of shell weight of JW1727, in order to reconstruct the season of capture. Results demonstrate that 1) every season is represented within the dataset; and 2) there is increasedC. fasciatusdeposition during the summer and autumn months. This indicates a diet consisting ofC. fasciatusthroughout the year in combination with other food sources and an increase of theC. fasciatuscomponent during the arid seasons, possibly linked to the unavailability of vegetation. Additionally, size measurements ofC. fasciatuswere carried out to examine changes in size distribution throughout the occupation of the site that could be related to overexploitation ofC. fasciatus. However, no significant trends could be observed. In sum, the results suggest a sustainable and constant habitation of the Farasan Islands despite the highly arid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]