An Investigation of the Common Cockle (Cerastoderma edule (L)): Collection practices at the kitchen midden sites of Norsminde and Krabbesholm, Denmark

The aim of this work is to determine to what extent the exploitation of cockles changed across the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition in Denmark, whilst also looking for evidence of seasonality in cockle exploitation. The offer methodological observations for the future zooarchaeology of molluscs, and the salutary warning that all sites are different, for whilst the site at Norsminde shows a relatively straightfoward Mesolithic/Neolithic transition, the evidence from Krabbeshol shows more complex change, with Mesolithic practices continuing into the Neolithic.