Relationship between shell-middens and neolithic paleoshorelines with examples from Brazil and Japan

Resumo

This paper deals with general aspects of the southeastern Brazilian coast shell-middens, particularly from the Cananéia-Iguape (State of São Paulo) plain, emphasizing their usefulness for the paleoshorelines reconstruction after the mid-Holocene. Some peculiarities of the Kanto (Japan) plain shell-middens, almost contemporaneous to the Brazilians, are also presented. In both cases, for the relative paleosea-level identification, the following information must be obtained from each shell-midden: (a) the distance from the present sea or lagoonal margin; (b) the nature and age of the substrate; (c) the altitude of the substrate above high-tide level; (d) the overall dates of site occupation and abandonment; (e) the 813C(pp)g) values of the carbonates in its mollusk shell; (f) the dominante mollusk species, and (g) the size of the shell-midden.