Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Archaeology) A mound or deposit of domestic refuse: A "kitchen midden" is an accumulation of waste materials, primarily shells, animal bones, ash, and broken tools, marking the location of a prehistoric human settlement. It serves as a crucial archaeological feature for understanding past diets and lifestyles.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The archaeologists excavated the kitchen midden to learn about the dietary habits of the ancient coastal community.
  • Shellfish remains were abundant in the Neolithic kitchen midden.

Advanced Usage

• As a technical archaeological term: The term is used almost exclusively in archaeological and anthropological contexts to describe specific types of waste deposits from past human habitation.
  • The study compared the faunal assemblages from several kitchen middens across the region.

Variants and Related Words

• Midden (n): A more general term for a dunghill or refuse heap; often used interchangeably with "kitchen midden" in archaeology.
  • The midden contained layers of occupation spanning centuries.
• Shell mound (n): A specific type of kitchen midden where seashells are the dominant component.
  • The shell mound provided evidence of intensive marine resource use.

Synonyms

• Refuse heap
• Dump
• Midden (the more common short form in technical writing)

Related Phrases

• Midden deposit: Refers to the stratified layers of material within a kitchen midden.
  • The artifacts were found in a well-defined midden deposit.

Noun

1. (archeology) a mound of domestic refuse containing shells and animal bones marking the site of a prehistoric settlement