Some observations on the Mesolithic crustacean assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Hebrides, Scotland

Crustacean remains are a common component of Mesolithic coastal shell middens in western Scotland and, potentially, are a valuable source of information on subsistence practices and shore ecology, yet they are rarely analyzed or described in detail in the archaeological literature. This paper focuses on the crustacean assemblage from a cave site on a small island in the Inner Hebrides, and offers some preliminary observations on prey selection, activity scheduling, and methods of capture employed by Mesolithic foragers living along the Atlantic coast of Scotland. The palaeoenvironmental significance of the crustacean remains is also discussed.