Topographical Refuse
For a change, a little bit of history…I had hoped to post a photo of the shellmound that existed at the end of University Avenue near the Truitt and White hardware store….but I couldn’t find one. Instead: A 1907 photo of the Emeryville Shellmound. A different location–now covered over by the Bay Street shopping center– but the same idea.
Shellmounds provide an interesting way to think about the disposal of refuse….
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Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EmeryvilleShellmound.png
Instead of sweeping it under the rug so to speak, it was often in the midst of the occupants’ everyday life. For more on the history of West Berkeley, and what was once the local Oholone shellmound, check out Barbara Gates book Already Home.