Layers and layers of Rangia clam shell-- the remains of many seafood picnics-- are visible in this excavation unit at the Guadalupe Bay site. Native familes would have steamed the clams over a small fire to open them, then plucked the meat out and tossed the shells into a trash heap. The result, after many meals, is this dense concentration termed a shell midden. These features are ubiquitous along the Texas coast and inland areas, testifying to the popularity of clams for food.