Finny Merchandise: The Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Trade in Gold Rush–Era San Francisco, California
Departmental News
Posted: Jan 14, 2022 - 10:00am
Newly published research by Dr. Cyler Conrad, Adjunct Assistant professor of Anthropology (UNM), colleagues from The University of Kansas, and others, provides a fascinating glimpse into the food items brought to San Francisco by ship during the Gold Rush of the 1850s.
The article, Finny Merchandise: The Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Trade in Gold Rush–Era San Francisco, California, published recently in the peer-reviewed Journal of Anthropological Research, reports the results of an excavation at Thompson's Cove in San Francisco has shown “Atlantic cod were imported during the 1850s, likely as a (largely) deboned, dried and salted product from the East Coast of the United States." The results underscore the importance of global maritime trade in northern California during the Gold Rush, when thousands of miners rushed to San Francisco, Sacramento, and elsewhere throughout northern California, creating a significant demand for food.
