Catalogue #	Title	Type	Subject	Description
2023.648.3138	Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata	Object, Other Object, Collection	Nature, Animals	On loan from Phil Whitney. This turtle shell, according to Whitney family legend, is suspected to be from an 1825 whaling expedition to the South Pacific. It was kept in the family home until 1928, when the Spurling house burned down, and was rescued from the flames by islanders trying to salvage their possessions. The shell is that of a Hawksbill sea turtle, larger than most found today, and you may notice an indentation on the left side. Turtles are adept at recovering from injuries but they can’t grow back bone, so this is likely an injury sustained from when this turtle was far smaller.	Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata Catalogue #: 2023.648.3138    Type: Object, Other Object, Collection Subject: Nature, Animals Place: Cranberry Isles Materials: Animal Description: On loan from Phil Whitney. This turtle shell, according to Whitney family legend, is suspected to be from an 1825 whaling expedition to the South Pacific. It was kept in the family home until 1928, when the Spurling house burned down, and was rescued from the flames by islanders trying to salvage their possessions. The shell is that of a Hawksbill sea turtle, larger than most found today, and you may notice an indentation on the left side. Turtles are adept at recovering from injuries but they can’t grow back bone, so this is likely an injury sustained from when this turtle was far smaller. [show more]
2022.617.3109	Shell Midden Remains and Photographs	Object, Other Object, Collection	Nature, Animals, Fish	A collection of shells and photographs taken from the Shell Midden on Fish Point. Some of the shells have holes in them, which may have been created by the indigenous people who hunted for them. Dating through the shell middens and other archeological remains, we know people have used this coastline and its plentiful marine resources for thousands of years. The Cranberries themselves were used by the indigenous peoples here, evidenced by the remains of a shell midden on Fish point (at the hook of the island) which isn’t accessible to the public. Shell middens are often referred to as trash heaps and they contain oyster, clam, and shellfish remains, along with ‘faunal remains’ which refers to the mammal, fish, bird, reptile bones and teeth that are found. A minor portion of the middens are often stone tools or their fragments, and pieces of ceramic pottery. Shellfish middens are phenomenal records of the lives lived in proximity to the coast, and they are often found in sheltered coves and bays, near small mudflats, and tidal/inland streams. They tell us which seasons people were occupying areas, their preference for sheltered areas with easy access to the ocean (for their canoes) and plentiful marine resources, such as shellfish flats, and spring runs of migratory fish. They are extraordinary records which are disappearing rapidly due to rising oceans.	Shell Midden Remains and Photographs Catalogue #: 2022.617.3109    Type: Object, Other Object, Collection Subject: Nature, Animals, Fish Place: Cranberry Isles Materials: Animal Description: A collection of shells and photographs taken from the Shell Midden on Fish Point. Some of the shells have holes in them, which may have been created by the indigenous people who hunted for them. Dating through the shell middens and other archeological remains, we know people have used this coastline and its plentiful marine resources for thousands of years. The Cranberries themselves were used by the indigenous peoples here, evidenced by the remains of a shell midden on Fish point (at the hook of the island) which isn’t accessible to the public. Shell middens are often referred to as trash heaps and they contain oyster, clam, and shellfish remains, along with ‘faunal remains’ which refers to the mammal, fish, bird, reptile bones and teeth that are found. A minor portion of the middens are often stone tools or their fragments, and pieces of ceramic pottery. Shellfish middens are phenomenal records of the lives lived in proximity to the coast, and they are often found in sheltered coves and bays, near small mudflats, and tidal/inland streams. They tell us which seasons people were occupying areas, their preference for sheltered areas with easy access to the ocean (for their canoes) and plentiful marine resources, such as shellfish flats, and spring runs of migratory fish. They are extraordinary records which are disappearing rapidly due to rising oceans. [show more]

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