The Queen Conch’s Gambit

Archaeologists don’t know exactly how many Taíno survived the enslavement, massacres, and diseases that marked the following centuries—though genetic sampling reveals significant Indigenous ancestry in contemporary Puerto Rico. But Taíno stories and artifacts stress the importance of conchs: in their fishing and diving traditions; in the infinite piles of conch they harvested, ate, and honed into tools and jewelry; and in their small spirit objects sculpted into three points—originally inspired by the pointed top of a conch shell.

Evidence of conch overharvesting begins in their time, Keegan says. But the export pressure that precipitated collapse dates to the British Empire that gave the queens their English name. A fashionable 18-year-old

→ Continue reading at Wired - Science

More from author

Related posts

Advertisment

Latest posts

Spotify slashes staff to move faster into AI – and Wall Street loves it | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  Spotify made a name for itself in the audio-streaming business through its hyper-personalized user experience,...

Pressure grows on Harvard President Claudine Gay after Penn’s Liz Magill resignation | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  Now that Liz Magill has stepped down as president of the University of Pennsylvania, the...

The Coolest Way to Commute Is Less Expensive Than Ever

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you'll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may...