Also known as a kitchen midden or shell mound, a midden is a refuse heap containing the waste products of day-to-day human life left by a prehistoric settlement. Often found in coastal environments, middens were first studied in Denmark in 1848. Because their contents include artifacts that can be dated, they help archaeologists to determine the mode of life and technology of ancient peoples, typically from the late Mesolithic period. How do middens help to preserve the materials they contain? Discuss