Gathering mussels

The malacological material of Dispilio, collected in a systematic way by the archaeologists-researchers, offers a wealth of information about the collecting activity of the inhabitants of Dispilio from the shores of the lake.

The freshwater mussel, which has also been found in other Neolithic settlements, seems to be a residue from the consumption of mollusc as food, while the other types of bones, such as the zebra mussel, are derived from natural processes, probably from the water in the settlement area. These particular shells, which prefer calm tidal flats, were probably attached to the piles of the elevated structures, as where individual or clusters of piles were found, also a high concentration of these shells was present.