| Summary: | Islands are variously interpreted either as areas closed in on themselves or open to different horizons, depending on the point of view. Excavations at the Port-Blanc site, on Hoedic Island, dated to the Iron Age, record both these aspects in the northwest of France, from the Middle La Tène to the end of the Final La Tène. They shed light on the evolution of this settlement, from its installation to its abandonment. The inclusion of faunal remains from the outset of the excavation allows to describe a varied exploitation of animals, including mammals, fish, birds, crustaceans and marine molluscs. The latter are the subject of this article.The sampling protocol implemented at the time of excavation revealed a rarely equalled diversity of marine invertebrates in archaeology along the European Atlantic coast. This variety is linked to the multiple origins of these shellfish. The malacofaunal spectrum of small species (< 10 mm), composed of juvenile to adult individuals, points to aeolian transport with algae during storms for some of them. Others were indeed processed by the occupants of Port-Blanc. Two uses are highlighted: food and dyeing. The first implies the consumption of limpets, followed by mussels, thick top shells and European clams. The second is the exploitation of the dog whelk Nucella lapillus and the murex and oyster drill Ocenebra erinaceus. The proportions of these species vary along with the different phases of occupation of Port-Blanc. The beginning of the occupation in the Middle La Tène indicates an intentional exploitation of the low foreshore levels by the presence of the Ocenebra erinaceus. This species identified at Port-Blanc is the French Atlantic murex, which is most similar in appearance to the flagship species of Mediterranean purple dye production: Hexaplex trunculus. We thus postulate a possible technical transfer of this high added value activity via Mediterranean influences. This scenario is compared to other archaeological and historical data. In the Late La Tène period, dye ...
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