   a midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap; from early scandinavian; norwegian: mÃ¸dding, danish: mÃ¸dding, swedish regional: mÃ¶dding). is an old  dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone,  human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds,  lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation. the word is of scandinavian via middle english derivation, but is used by  archaeologists worldwide to describe any kind of feature containing waste products relating to day-to-day human life. they may be convenient, single-use pits created by nomadic groups or long-term, designated dumps used by sedentary communities that accumulate over several generations. in spanish-speakind countries middens are referred to as conchales: the term conchal derives from the spanish word for mollusc shell, concha.. in portugal they are known as concheiros, and in brazil, sambaquis. these  features, therefore, provide a useful resource for archaeologists who wish to study the diet and habits of past societies. middens with damp, anaerobic conditions can even preserve organic remains in deposits as the debris of daily life are tossed on the pile. each individual toss will contribute a different mix of materials depending upon the activity associated with that particular toss. during the course of deposition sedimentary material is deposited as well. different mechanisms, from wind and water to animal digs, create a matrix which can also be analyzed to provide seasonal and climatic information. in some middens individual dumps of material can be discerned and analysed. ==shell middens== [[file:whaleback shell midden gully - 20070722 07986.jpg|thumb|left|the whaleback shell midden in maine result
Landfill Shell_middens Stone_Age