Archaeological analysis of shell middens in the Beagle Channel, Tierra delFuego Island

An archaeological programme beginning in 1993, in the Beagle Channel, aims to describe the long-term record of maritime faunal exploitation, and relat e it to the environmental record. Results from quantitative analysis of rem ains from a series of shell midden excavations indicate a remarkably stable and resilient marine biota over the last 6500 years. Only in the previous century have there been changes in fauna, which might correspond to recent global warming. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.