Richard Parker stated: I do suspect, however, an archaeologist's
identification of an Atlantic or
Pacific shell.

This is a good point, but in the case of Jackson it is not appropriate. John
Wilfred Jackson (1880-1978), DSc, wrote numerous papers on mollusks in the
Journal of Conchology. He was in charge of the geological collection as well
as the collection of Recent Mollusca and the library at the Manchester
Museum.  In addition to mollusks he was also interested in archaeology but
his specialty was the study of brachipods.

Unofrtunately I do not have Jackson's work at hand so do not know how he
described the material he evidently identified as Cypraea moneta and do not
know how it reached him.  The only biography I have is a short obit in the
Journal of Conchology and it does not mention the 1915 work.  It is possible
that his work on the American find had been discredited by 1980 when his
obit was written.  If it has been discredited, I would bet that it was due
to specimens having been mislocalized when sent to him as I doubt that he
would have misidentified a common shell.

Hopefully someone on Conch-L will know an archaeologist who will know.

dick p.

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