This communication presents the results of the analysis of archaeomalacological remains from archaeological excavations in the Sella valley (Asturias, Spain). Shells from Tito Bustillo (Dwelling Area, SUs 101 to 104), Cova Rosa (Layers A0 to B11), La Lloseta (Clark Sector, Level VI) and El Cierro (Sala de la Natividad, Levels 3 and 4) have been studied.
This analysis has been performed from a taxonomic, quantitative, taphonomic and biometric point of view. In the selected sample, species collected for their bromatological interest prevail (mainly Patella vulgata and Littorina littorea), although taxa of no food value have also been documented. Anthropic alterations have been detected in the shells, ranging from thermoalteration to fractures caused by limpet collection. The latter alteration has been identified by experimentation with current specimens. The results obtained in this study are compared with existing information on nearby sites, reflecting on the mobility of shellfishing groups in the Sella valley during the Magdalenian period
