56 Items Tagged

Shells

A dragon figure made out of seashells and coral.

New Taipei City, Taiwan

Fufudingshan Shell and Coral Temple

A Buddhist temple covered in intricate designs and carvings made out of seashells and pieces of coral.

Caption

Poe's Best-Selling Book During His Lifetime Was a Guide to Seashells

"The Conchologist’s First Book" was good enough to elevate the entire field.

John Tresch May 27, 2021

Omori Shell Mound

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.

Duluwat Island, now officially back in the hands of the Wiyot Tribe.

How the Wiyot Tribe Won Back a Sacred California Island

The tribe finally completed a ceremony interrupted by a massacre in 1860.

Sabrina Imbler November 15, 2019

Excavations conducted after the lidar survey revealed the extent of the bead-making village.

Found: A Prehistoric Bead-Making Factory Town Off the Florida Coast

The kinds of beads they made were coveted far and wide a thousand years ago.

Isaac Schultz November 5, 2019

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Turtle Mound

Mariners once used this prehistoric landfill as a navigational landmark.

Dana Lepofsky examines clam shells at an archaeological site.

In Modern-Day British Columbia, Clamming Technology Was More Advanced 3,500 Years Ago

New research has found that indigenous clam gardens are more productive than current practices.

Reina Gattuso October 21, 2019

Piles of conch shells in the water off the coral island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands.

There's a Massive Conch-Shell Graveyard in the Caribbean

Some think these towering shell piles preserve healthy populations of the coveted sea snails.

Claire Shefchik July 16, 2019

Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Anegada Conch Middens

A mountain of conch shells created by centuries of fishermen.

<em>Fontigens cryptica</em>, finally found!

Can a Snail Too Tiny to See Save a Kentucky Forest From a Gas Pipeline?

Sometimes the little things matter.

Sabrina Imbler July 12, 2019

The water is full of wonders.

How to Decode the Shells You Find Washed Up on the Beach

A beginner's guide to identifying conchs, chitons, and more.

Jessica Leigh Hester May 28, 2024

Detail of a historical sailor's valentine by an unknown artist.

objects of intrigue

Sailors' Valentines Were Painstakingly Crafted, But Not by Sailors

They made great last-minute gifts after months at sea.

Anna Marlis Burgard February 14, 2019

The Boston Stabber

This praised oyster shucker is as elegant as it is dangerous.

Éclade de Moules

These marvelous mussels are cooked under pine needles.

Geoduck

This phallic, giant clam is the culinary crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest.

Ponce Inlet, Florida

The Green Mound

One of the largest Native American shell middens stands 30 feet tall.

Marco Island, Florida

Otter Mound Preserve

Decorative shell walls built in the 1940s sit atop an ancient midden created by the Calusa Native Americans.

Shell pulpit.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Scallop Shell Pulpit

The oldest operational cathedral in the U.S. has one shell of a way of projecting speakers' voices.