Tracing Seaweed as Food and Fodder in Archaeology: A Review of Current Methods

Blanz, M., Balasse, M., Mainland, I., 2026. Tracing Seaweed as Food and Fodder in Archaeology: A Review of Current Methods. Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 1-29.

Abstract

Seaweed is often overlooked as a potential food source for animals and humans in archaeological interpretations. However, plentiful historical and ecological evidence attests to seaweed consumption by humans and domesticated and wild animals (e.g., sheep, cattle, deer, coyotes). This literature review provides a summary of the use of seaweed as food and fodder by humans and terrestrial mammals more generally, and how seaweed consumption may be detected in archaeological contexts. It gives a detailed overview of currently available methods to identify seaweed consumption, including the study of seaweed macrofossils and seaweed proxies such as small shells (which can indicate the past presence of seaweed at a site), dental microwear and markers in dental calculus, as well as isotope ratios of skeletal material (which can give direct evidence of seaweed consumption). Several case studies are included to illustrate the implications of seaweed consumption by humans and animals in archaeological contexts, examining questions of food insecurity and adaptations to coastal environments.