When you say shell debris...??

[Momof3]

Good morning everyone! So while I was hunting the spot where I found my last post ( cresap) I was also amazed and hunting these as well! There are tons of them.. Not living that I have / can find! So my question is were they a food source long ago! One thing for sure is this amount pictured weighs about 5 lbs! Heavy and thick!! I just thought they were pretty neat!

 

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[Momof3]

I should probably note these were found in a river!

 

[rock]

Believe it or not we have some huge clams that live in the creeks here. When I 1st saw a empty shell I thought it was from the ocean. But later found out they are freshwater clams. I bet the natives ate them up. Now if you happen to be walking a field and come across some pieces in the dirt in a campsite area then you have found a trash pit.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Are they all piled up in one area or are they spread out all over? If one big pile it's most likely a Midden and worth looking through for broken and discarded artifacts. If spread out all over then most just naturally dying Clams.

 

[Tnmountains]

If it is a pile or miden on the river (navigable waterway) be careful that you do not get in trouble as it is illegal to dig in them. Many colonial places also had shell pits. If you are finding flint then it probably Native american. If not use a metal detector and see what else might be there.
Good luck

 

[kingskid1611]

I was thinking box turtle until I opened the thread. We have freshwater clams around here that can get huge.

 

[d2]

Fresh water mussels. When fishing I look for shell middens washing out of the bank and find a couple of new ones every year. Other than finding gobs of mussel shells I have yet to find a tool or point in the mix. Occasionally I find a small piece of flint. The large shell in the upper left appears to be a 3 ridge or a washboard. I have tried eating them but they taste just like the river water smells. Every shell midden I have found and dug into were at places that were shallow and made finding mussels for them easy...d2