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Shells

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Xpujil, Mexico

'Caracol de Vida' ('Snail of Life')

A monument in the shape of the mighty conch honors the history and symbolism behind this shell.
Thyborøn, Denmark

Sneglehuset (The Snail House)

A Danish fisherman spent 25 years covering nearly every inch of his home with tens of thousands of shells as a gift to his wife.
science

Inside a Queen Conch Nursery in Puerto Rico That May Help Save the Iconic Species

The region's first and only locally-run hatchery provides a boost for both fishers and the imperiled royal sea snail.
Cynthia Barnett May 16, 2022
Toronto, Ontario

The Wood Cake House

This knick-knack-covered house (complete with a matching van) is a charming oddity in the middle of a modest downtown neighborhood.
science

Why Are Paleontologists Getting Into Florida's Oyster Business?

Conservationists are teaming up with fossil experts to help the bivalves—and the state's oyster economy—survive.
Jack Tamisiea December 15, 2021
Palm Beach, Florida

Coral Cut

This spooky road cut through a mound of ancient coral might be haunted by a witch.
Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Kallin Shell Midden

This impressive midden of scallop shells apparently all comes from a single fishing company.
temples

Podcast: Seashell Shrines and Bones With the Places Team

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
The Podcast Team October 7, 2021
New Taipei City, Taiwan

Fufudingshan Shell and Coral Temple

A Buddhist temple covered in intricate designs and carvings made out of seashells and pieces of coral.
shells

Poe's Best-Selling Book During His Lifetime Was a Guide to Seashells

"The Conchologist’s First Book" was good enough to elevate the entire field.
John Tresch May 27, 2021
Tokyo, Japan

Omori Shell Mound

The site of Japan’s first archaeological excavation is also the birthplace of fingerprint forensics.
islands

How the Wiyot Tribe Won Back a Sacred California Island

The tribe finally completed a ceremony interrupted by a massacre in 1860.
Sabrina Imbler November 15, 2019
islands

Found: A Prehistoric Bead-Making Factory Town Off the Florida Coast

The kinds of beads they made were coveted far and wide a thousand years ago.
Isaac Schultz November 5, 2019
New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Turtle Mound

Mariners once used this prehistoric landfill as a navigational landmark.
science

In Modern-Day British Columbia, Clamming Technology Was More Advanced 3,500 Years Ago

New research has found that indigenous clam gardens are more productive than current practices.
Reina Gattuso October 21, 2019
Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Anegada Conch Middens

A mountain of conch shells created by centuries of fishermen.
forests

Can a Snail Too Tiny to See Save a Kentucky Forest From a Gas Pipeline?

Sometimes the little things matter.
Sabrina Imbler July 12, 2019
beach

How to Decode the Shells You Find Washed Up on the Beach

A beginner's guide to identifying conchs, chitons, and more.
Jessica Leigh Hester May 26, 2019