Molluscs emergent, Part II: themes and trends in the scientific investigation of molluscs and their shells as past human resources

Recent work in three major research themes involving molluscs is reviewed: 1. molluscs in past human diets and subsistence systems, sclerochemistry and seasonality studies on mollusc harvesting times using stable isotopes of oxygen; 2. the impact of foraging on mollusc populations, resource management strategies, and settlement patterns and mobility of coastal foragers; and 3. mollusc shells as artefacts and personal ornaments, including manufacture and use, provenance studies and exchange systems, and human cognition. Most of the discussion is about marine molluscs and their shells, although land snails and freshwater shells are also considered, where appropriate.