• Alicia Clarke/Alamy Alicia Clarke/Alamy I am currently readingThe Big Oyster: History on the half shell, a chronicle of New York City told through its renowned oyster beds. • Even though I am a local, I was only vaguely aware of the city’s relationship with the molluscs. • I knew there were efforts to boost the oyster population, but I was ignorant about how massive it once was. • It was so bountiful that when Europeans arrived on the island in the early 1600s, they described oysters the size of their feet. • The Lenape Indigenous people would feast on them, discarding the shells in huge piles that archaeologists would later call shell middens. • Construction workers still happen upon the heaps when they are building subway tunnels or rail lines.
Article Summaries:
- Summary
New Scientist highlights The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, a book by journalist Mark Kurlansky that chronicles New York City’s oyster heritage. The narrative traces the city’s transformation from a once‑vast oyster ecosystem-so abundant that early European settlers described foot‑sized shells-to the modern concrete metropolis. Kurlansky blends historical accounts, archaeological findings such as Lenape shell middens, and municipal records to illustrate how oyster populations were once integral to the region’s economy and culture. The book offers a fresh perspective on New York’s environmental history, prompting readers to reconsider the city’s relationship with its natural past.
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