You are standing in front of a graphic panel and artifact case titled “Shell Middens.” To your left is a graphic panel and artifact case titled “First Peoples.” To your right is the exhibition’s introduction panel. Behind you is the information desk.

The panel and case in front of you include text, three images, and a group of oyster shells. The main text reads:

Shell Middens 

Oysters and other shellfish were major sources of food for Native Americans in this area.

Archaeologists have uncovered many shell middens (heaps of discarded shells) on SERC’s campus. These ancient trash piles have added nutrients to the soil, leading to a higher diversity of plant life.

Today, shell middens and other cultural resources are threatened by sea level rise along the Chesapeake Bay.

The images on the panel include:

A photo showing three people kneeling and squatting in a dig site in the dirt. They are touching the ground. In front of them on the ground are oyster shells. The caption reads: SERC’s Participatory Science archaeology team excavates a shell midden at the site of Shaw’s Folly.

A black-and-white illustration showing a Native American encampment. It depicts men and women gathered around huts and other shelters talking and working. The caption reads: Local Native Americans ate oysters and other shellfish. They threw the shells, along with animal bones and broken pottery, into trash piles called shell middens.

A photo showing a trowel lying in a pile of oyster shells and dirt. The caption reads: Archaeologists have found many shell middens on SERC’s campus.

The artifacts included in the case are oyster shells recovered from a midden excavation at Java Mansion.