Thanks to a three-year study conducted by a research team from SFU, the number of clams found along BC’s coastline has the opportunity to grow more substantially, due to an ancient practice already in use throughout British Columbia’s coastal regions.
The team, comprised of Amy Groesbeck, Dana Lepofsky, Anne Salomon, and Kirsten Rowell, began their project after hearing of First Nations’ clam gardens located along the coastline. These ancient clam gardens have been traditionally used for the harvesting of clams, and were said to be more productive than more normative approaches to harvesting the food supply.
Lepofsky, an SFU professor of archaeology, said, “Given the sheer size, number, and time depth of shell middens along coastal British Columbia, it makes sense that there was a system in place to manage clams so they could be sustainably harvested in abundance over the generations.”
The team conducted their research in order to see if these ancient techniques were able to yield a greater crop than regular beaches. The method is simple and has been passed down by First Nations oral traditions throughout the ages. Humans construct clam gardens on a specific area of the beach to benefit the growth of clams. In a sheltered segment of the coastline, rock walls preserve the area for the clams to reproduce and thrive.
“Clam gardens are truly an astonishing example of human ingenuity and why ancient indigenous wisdom matters to the modern world,” said Salomon, assistant professor of resource and environmental management.
Rowell, a biologist from the University of Washington, said, “Our work shows that ancient Northwest aquaculture techniques appear to be efficient and productive. For the clams under study, we found that there is a real growth benefit, higher densities and better survivorship, which could translate into a significant difference in local food security.”
The researchers’ study found that clams in the enclosed and protected gardens grew almost twice as fast, were more likely to survive, and quadrupled in numbers when compared to normal beaches.
In the future, more researchers and archaeologists will continue to search for clues as to when and how these clam gardens came into use in the distant past. The team has since created the Clam Garden Network to work with researchers and First Nations community members across the province. Said Salomon, this network will hopefully allow researchers to “unlock further mysteries surrounding clam gardens.”
