Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

Aboriginal Indian Remains in Jamaica by J. E. Duerden / 209
Fig I. Helix acuta, Lamk., artificially perforated.
today on the north side as food and for
the extraction of pearls. The removal of
the animal is facilitated either by breaking
off the apex of the spiral or by perforating
the shell in the region of the adductor
muscle.
Of specimens submitted to him, Prof.
O. T. Mason writes: “The shells have
their allies in both Florida and in South
America, where the perforations are of
three kinds— for hafting, for stringing,
and for touching up a hard edge for
scraping wood. These shells are closely
allied also to South American specimens.
In our collection here, there are a great
many conch shells from Florida that have
been used roughly as tools, and clam and mussel shells are neatly pierced for
handles. There are also many roughly broken through, and Von den Steiner, in
his work on Brazil, says that he has seen the people on the Shinghu break the
holes and use the sharp edges for scraping down war clubs.”
The perforation is always large in Turbo pica, often having a diameter of
two or three inches. The majority of the shells are otherwise perfect, and in the
Lamellibranchs the valves are occasionally still united. Some of the shells give
evidence of having been subjected to the action of fire.
The marine species obtained are all very common forms around the shores
today, especially on the south side, and on the score of present distribution,
there seems no particular reason why different species should be more characteristic
of one series of accumulations than of another. It is evident also, that
the edible quality of the mollusk had not much determining influence in this
selection; while all the representatives of the Ostreidae can be recommended
for food, and those of Pyrula, Strombus, Codakia, and Arca may not be too coriaceous,
most of them being still used in places, not much can be said in approval
of the Indians’ choice of many of the others. The following list, arranged
somewhat in the order of predominance of occurrence, will show the great variety
of species met with:
Gastropods
Pyrula melongena, Linn.
Turbo pica, Linn.
Helix acuta, var. patina.