I am currently reading The Big Oyster: History on the half shell, a chronicle of New York City told through its renowned oyster beds. Even though I am a local, I was only vaguely aware of the city’s relationship with the molluscs. I knew there were efforts to boost the oyster population, but I was ignorant about how massive it once was.
It was so bountiful that when Europeans arrived on the island in the early 1600s, they described oysters the size of their feet. The Lenape Indigenous people would feast on them, discarding the shells in huge piles that archaeologists would later call shell middens.
Construction workers still happen upon the heaps when they are building subway tunnels or rail lines.
By weaving together historical accounts, archaeological evidence and city records, journalist Mark Kurlansky details New York City’s evolution from a natural oasis to a concrete jungle. It is a fascinating perspective, and one that has reshaped how I see the city.
Grace Wade
Reporter, New York
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