He i‘a make ka ‘opihi: Optimal foraging theory, food choice, and the fish of death

Efficiency-based frameworks have a long history in archaeological research and have been used particularly by zooarchaeologists when interpreting forager behaviour. The use of optimality models, such as the prey- and patch-choice models in Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT), have the ability to identify episodes of resource depression, but also behavioural anomalies in the archaeological record that deviated from predicted optimal behaviour. Deviations may be the result of social, cultural, or environmental factors. We investigated prehistoric harvesting of the culturally-important Hawaiian limpet (Cellana spp.) across fourteen sites on the windward, north coast of Moloka‘i, Hawaiian Islands. Prehistoric harvest of the three endemic limpet species (C. exarata, C. sandwicensis, C. talcosa) is compared with OFT-predicted harvesting, natural limpet abundance, and contemporary traditional gathering. Our results indicate that prehistoric limpet abundance does not reflect efficiency-based predictions or natural abundance of limpet populations. Ancient limpet harvesting in Hawai‘i is instead similar to present-day gathering and may have been shaped by social and cultural influences.