Shell rings are circular and semi-circular deposits of shell (mostly oyster, Crassostrea virginica), faunal bone, artefacts and soil constructed along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts of the southeastern United States.
Rings in Georgia and South Carolina date to c. 4200–3200 BP and range in size from 1 to 3 m tall and 22 to 83 m across. These little-studied sites have been suggested to be the remains of gaming arenas, astronomical observatories, torture chambers, houses of state, and fish traps. Most archaeologists view the sites as the subsistence remains of egalitarian hunter/fisher encampments. The rings’ generally symmetrical, circular shapes are seen as reflective of the equal status among their societal members wherein no individual or family held a unique or favoured position over another. The general absence of exotic or prestige artefacts, elaborate burials and ceremonial mounds has reinforced the concept that these Late Archaic shell rings reflect rudimentary hunter/fisher cultures. Ironically, shell rings have also been cited as the earliest evidence for the rise of hierarchical social development in North America (Russo 1991; Russo & Saunders 1999). Shell rings have yielded evidence of the earliest permanent year-round occupations, the earliest development of pottery and the earliest examples of large-scale monumental architecture. Consequentially the function of shell rings remains an open question.
贝壳环是美国东南部佛罗里达州、佐治亚州和南卡罗来纳州沿岸贝壳(主要是牡蛎,Crassostrea virginica)、动物骨骼、人工制品和土壤的圆形和半圆形沉积物。佐治亚州和南卡罗来纳州的贝壳环可追溯到约公元前 4200-3200 年,大小不等,高 1-3 米,宽 22-83 米。这些研究甚少的遗址被认为是游戏场、天文观测台、刑讯室、国宅和捕鱼陷阱的遗迹。大多数考古学家认为,这些遗址是平等的猎人/渔民营地的生存遗迹。这些环形遗址一般呈对称的圆形,被认为反映了社会成员之间的平等地位,没有任何个人或家庭比其他个人或家庭拥有独特或优越的地位。由于这些贝环中普遍没有异国情调或有声望的手工艺品、精致的墓葬和祭祀用的土墩,因此更让人认为这些晚期太古时期的贝环反映了原始的狩猎者/渔民文化。具有讽刺意味的是,贝壳环也被认为是北美洲等级社会发展兴起的最早证据(Russo,1991 年;Russo & Saunders,1999 年)。贝壳环提供了最早的常年居住、最早的陶器发展和最早的大规模纪念性建筑的证据。因此,贝壳环的功能仍是一个悬而未决的问题。