Université de Montréal A Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Late Dorset Faunal Assemblage from the KcFs-2 Site (Nunavik, Quebec). By Andrea K. Thompson Département d’Anthropologie Université de Montréal, Montréal Mémoire présenté à la faculté des études supérieures en vue de l’obtention du grade de Maître ès sciences (M.Sc.) En Anthropologie Janvier 2011 © Andrea Thompson, 2011 ii Université de Montréal Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales Ce mémoire intitulé : A Zooarchaeological Analysis of a Late Dorset Faunal Assemblage from the KcFs-2 Site (Nunavik, Quebec). Présenté par: Andrea Thompson A été évalué par un jury composé des personnes suivantes: Isabelle Ribot, président-rapporteur Ariane Burke, directrice de recherche Adrian L. Burke, membre du jury iii Abstract This thesis presents a zooarchaeological analysis of a faunal assemblage from a Dorset site (KcFs-2) on the Nuvuk Islands in the Canadian Arctic. The faunal data was analyzed through the application of bone density and economic utility indices and bivariate statistical tests. A brief taphonomic study was also undertaken, showing that the assemblage was not heavily affected taphonomically. The faunal analysis revealed a generalized subsistence strategy with an intensified focus on marine mammal exploitation, specifically ringed seals. The predominance of immature ringed seals exposed through the study indicates an abundance of marine resources in the northern Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait regions during the period under study, which correlates well with existing studies concerning Late Palaeoeskimo economy. Occupation of the KcFs-2 site occurred in the Late Dorset period of Nunavik (1500-800 B.P.) and is defined on a multi-seasonal level, from late winter through summer. Analyses of the organic artefact assemblage (harpoon heads and sculpted objects) served to confirm the relative dating of the site and aided in the definition of the cultural affiliation of the inhabitants of the KcFs-2 site. Key-words: Late Dorset, Nunavik, zooarchaeology, palaeoeskimo, maritime subsistence economy. iv Résumé Ce mémoire consiste en une analyse zooarchéologique d’un assemblage faunique provenant d’un site Dorsétien des Îles Nuvuk dans l’Arctique canadien. Les données fauniques ont été analysées statistiquement en appliquant des indices d’utilité économique et des indices de densité des os. Une étude concernant le niveau de conservation de l’assemblage a révélé peu d’évidence de modification taphonomique des spécimens. Les analyses fauniques ont permis d’identifier une stratégie de subsistance de type généraliste et basée sur l’exploitation de mammifères marins, surtout des phoques annelés, pratiquée par les occupants du site de KcFs-2. Une prédominance d’individus immatures (phoques annelés) dans l’assemblage indique une abondance de ressources marines dans les régions du nord de la Baie d’Hudson et du détroit d’Hudson au moment de l’occupation, ce qui est aussi manifeste dans des études antérieures concernant les économies des peuples du Paléoesquimau tardif pour la période donnée. L’occupation du site de KcFs-2 s’est produite durant la période du Dorsétien récent au Nunavik (1500-800 B.P.), et la séquence est définie comme ayant été multi-saisonnière (de l’hiver à l’été). L’analyse des produits de l’industrie osseuse (têtes de harpons et sculptures en ivoire) a permis de confirmer l’affiliation culturelle des occupants. Mots-clés: Dorsétien récent, Nunavik, zooarchéologie, Paléoesquimau, économie de subsistance maritime. v Table of Contents Abstract iii Résumé iv Table of Contents v List of Figures vii List of Tables viii Dedication ix Acknowledgements x INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1: Theory, methodology, and zooarchaeology 4 1.1 A review of American archaeological approaches 4 1.2 Zooarchaeology 10 Chapter 2: Arctic Prehistory and the Ancient Arctic Cultures 12 2.1 The Peopling of the Eastern Arctic 12 2.1.1 The Colonization of the New World 13 2.1.2 Migration to the Eastern Arctic 15 2.1.3 The Origin of the Eastern Arctic Palaeoeskimo 15 2.2 The Prehistoric Arctic Cultures 16 2.2.1 The Palaeoeskimo Period 18 2.2.2 The Arctic Small Tool Tradition 20 2.2.3 Early Palaeoeskimo 21 2.2.4 Radiocarbon dating and the transition to the Late Palaeoeskimo 22 2.2.5 The Pre-Dorset to Dorset Transition 23 2.3 The Dorset Culture 25 2.3.1 Chronology and Terminology 26 2.3.2 Settlement and Subsistence 28 2.3.3 Dorset Material Culture 30 2.3.4 Dorset Art 33 2.4 The Neoeskimo Period 34 Chapter 3: Palaeoeskimo in Nunavik 36 3.1 Environmental Setting 36 3.1.1 Geography and Geology 37 3.1.2 Climate 39 vi 3.2 Archaeology in the Ivujivik Region 40 3.2.1 Investigations in Hudson Bay, Ungava, and Labrador 41 Chapter 4: Site Introduction and Assemblage 46 4.1. Project 49 4.1.1 Excavation Procedure 50 4.2 Assemblage 52 4.2.1 Assemblage Preparation 53 Chapter 5: Faunal Analysis 56 5.1 Quantitative Methods 56 5.2 Results 62 5.2.1 Relative Species Contributions 62 5.2.2 Fragmentation (NISP:MNI) 64 5.2.3 Meat weights 66 5.2.4 Age data 67 5.2.5 Economic Utility 69 5.3 Bone Density Analyses 76 5.4 Discussion 80 5.4.1 Caching 97 5.5 Summary 99 Chapter 6: Taphonomy and Site Formation 101 6.1 Carcass preparation 101 6.2 Interpretation 105 Chapter 7: Worked Ivory and Organic Artefacts 109 CONCLUSION 118 References Cited 120 APPENDIX I xi APPENDIX II xiii vii List of Figures Figure 1: Map showing locations of places mentioned in the text……………………….14 Figure 2: Arctic chronology with taxonomic categories ................................................... 19 Figure 3: Late Dorset harpoon heads, not to scale …………………….………………...32 Figure 4: Miniature ivory Dorset harpoon head………………………………………….33 Figure 5: Map of the Ungava Peninsula showing the Ivujivik region .............................. 37 Figure 6: Map indicating the location of Nuvuk Islands and Ivujivik .............................. 38 Figure 7: Map indicating locations of sites mentioned in this section in red ................... 42 Figure 8: Aerial view of the KcFs-2 site. .......................................................................... 46 Figure 9: KcFs-2 site map ……………………………………………………………….47 Figure 10: Map of House 3 showing excavation grid and test pits. .................................. 48 Figure 11: KcFs-2 excavations viewed from the north ..................................................... 51 Figure 12: Harpoon heads from the KcFs-2 site recovered by Leechman. ...................... 52 Figure 13: Trenches SE C and SE E in the House 3 midden…………………………….54 Figure 14: Scatter plots indicating utility strategies ……………………………………..61 Figure 15: Pie charts showing relative percentage abundances of classes and species …63 Figure 16: Scatter plots showing the relationship between MNI and NISP ……...……..65 Figure 17: Comparison of species distributions and available meat weights ................... 66 Figure 18: Relative ages of main taxa tallied through MNI. ............................................ 67 Figure 19: Small seal element distribution. ...................................................................... 69 Figure 20: Small seal %MUI vs. %MAU, MUI index ..................................................... 70 Figure 21: Harp seal element distribution. ........................................................................ 71 Figure 22: Harp seal %MUI vs. %MAU .......................................................................... 72 Figure 23: Walrus element distribution. ........................................................................... 73 Figure 24: Beluga element distribution. ............................................................................ 74 Figure 25: Caribou element distribution. .......................................................................... 74 Figure 26: Caribou %MUI vs. %MAU ............................................................................. 75 Figure 27: Murre element distribution .............................................................................. 76 Figure 28: Scatter plots showing the bone density test results…………………………..78 Figure 29: Caribou bone marrow vs. %MAU ................................................................... 79 Figure 30: Chart showing seasonal data for KcFs-2 taxa………………………………100 Figure 31: Graph showing the small seal elements exhibiting gnawing ........................ 104 Figure 32: Hesse and Wapnish's (1985) model ............................................................... 106 Figure 33: Ivory maskette and miniature ivory walrus sculpture ................................... 109 Figure 34: Magico-religious artistic carvings from the Brooman Point Site, ................. 110 Figure 35: Photos of Late Dorset harpoon heads recovered at the KcFs-2 site .............. 113 Figure 36: Replica of an assembled Early Dorset harpoon. ............................................ 114 viii List of Tables Table 1: Species distribution based upon NISP and MNI ................................................ 62 Table 2: KcFs-2 species distribution based upon dietary contribution. ............................ 66 Table 3: Age distributions for the KcFs-2 assemblage tallied through NISP. .................. 68 Table 4: Age distributions for the KcFs-2 assemblage tallied through MNI. ................... 68 Table 5: Taphonomy results for each taxa of the KcFs-2 assemblage ........................... 101 Table 6: Summary of cut-marked bones from the KcFs-2 assemblage. ......................... 102 ix This thesis is dedicated to Lorne Thompson and to Paul Hooker.