@nt_ws10/hling/CLS_journals/GRP_elsevier/JOB_059/DIV_00962 October 6, 2003 11:03:33 ARTICLE IN PRESS 1 Journal of Archaeological SCIENCE Journal of Archaeological Science 00 (2003) 1–19 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jas 2 Sealing, whaling and caribou: the skeletal isotope chemistry of 3 Eastern Arctic foragers a b a 4 Joan Brenner Coltrain *, M. Geoffrey Hayes , Dennis H. O’Rourke 5 a Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA 6 b Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, 920 E. 58th St.-CLSC 507, Chicago, IL 60637, USA 7 Received 9 April 2003; received in revised form 11 June 2003; accepted 17 June 2003 8 Abstract 9 We obtained stable isotope signatures (13C, 15N) and AMS radiocarbon dates for a small set of Dorset remains, Thule-era 10 burials from northwest Hudson Bay and proto-historic burials from Southampton Island to assess the importance of whaling in 11 eastern Canadian Arctic economies. Classic Thule occupation of the Eastern Arctic (ca. AD 1000–1350) coincided with the Medieval 12 Warm Period and was thought to have been facilitated by dog traction and open-sea hunting of bowhead whale. Despite the 13 potential economic importance of whaling, dietary reconstructions for this period are based on the relative frequency of common 14 prey types in midden faunal assemblages and rarely include bowhead whale skeletal elements, which often comprise the 15 superstructure of Classic Thule residential dwellings. Although our findings are constrained by the paucity of Classic Thule burials 16 at sites under study, they provide an empirically derived estimate of reliance on whaling for the Modified Thule, those who post-date 17 AD 1350, indicating whaling accounted for approximately 12% of dietary intake. We also examine the relationship between Thule 18 whaling and indicators of status and identify a Dorset-aged burial and three individuals with European diets among the 19 proto-historic collection from Southampton Island. 20 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd. 21 Keywords: Stable carbon isotope ratio (13C); Stable nitrogen isotope ratio (15N); Marine reservoir effect; Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus); 22 Dorset; Thule; Sadlermiut; Kamarvik; Silumuit; Southampton Island 23 “The bowhead whale . is a planktivore of the baleen with the Medieval Warm Period (ca. AD 900–1300/1350 39 24 group of whales adapted to live in the loose edges of [9,23,29,45,121]), which also saw the expansion of 40 25 the north polarUNCORRECTED sea ice. Its annual migration roughly Europeans PROOF into Iceland and Greenland [35,70,71,83]. 41 26 tracks the advance and retreat of the floe edge” Their successful colonization of the central and eastern 42 27 ([26]:235). Canadian Arctic is thought to have been facilitated 43 by dog traction and open-sea hunting of bowhead 44 28 The role of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus)in whale. Yet the relative contribution of bowhead whale 45 29 Eastern Arctic economies has been a topic of particular to Thule diets and their importance in later economies 46 30 interest over the past two decades [50,62,64–66,102,104– is the subject of ongoing debate [26,38,50,62,64– 47 31 107]. Although bowheads are rarely included in faunal 66,69,102,104–107]. Here we report the results of 48 32 assemblage counts, their mandibular elements and ribs research to reconstruct Eastern Arctic diets from the 49 33 commonly form the superstructure of Classic Thule bone collagen, stable isotope chemistry of adult Dorset, 50 34 winter houses. The Thule are high latitude foragers who Thule and proto-historic skeletal remains. Thule burials 51 35 migrated east from northern Alaska [53,110] coincident were recovered from Kamarvik and Silumiut on north- 52 west Hudson Bay [61]; the Sadlermiut proto-historic 53 54 36 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-801-581-8366; collection originated at Native Point on Southampton 37 fax: +1-801-581-6252. Island. The temporal affiliation of each individual was 55 38 E-mail address: [email protected] (J.B. Coltrain). established by AMS radiocarbon dating. 56 0305-4403/03/$ - see front matter 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2003.06.003 2 J.B. Coltrain et al. / Journal of Archaeological Science 00 (2003) 1–19 57 1. A brief prehistory of the Eastern Arctic that occupation density may have been greater than 110 58 1.1. Dorset culture Park’s estimates and likely covaried with reliance on 111 whaling. In some cases, houses with a preponderance of 112 59 Dorset culture emerged from a Pre-Dorset tradition whaling gear also contain evidence for high status in the 113 60 between 800–500 BC [34,60,68,79,126] coincident with form of tools slotted for metal blades [63,92,134]. Sites 114 61 the onset of deep permafrost and less stable climatic with large collections of whale bone correspond well 115 62 conditions accompanied by colder winters. Ice creepers with historic bowhead sightings and are surrounded by 116 63 and hand-drawn sleds with bone runners suggest an extensive midden and storage caches indicating repeated 117 64 increase in winter/spring sealing on sea ice. Dogs were overwintering. Dog traction was in use. Heat and 118 65 less prevalent, signaling a reduction in their economic light were furnished by large, crescent-shaped soap- 119 66 utility coincident with a decline in fall/winter exploi- stone lamps. Weaponry consisted of multi-component 120 67 tation of caribou [34,74]. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) harpoons, lances, spears, throwing boards and the bow 121 68 and seals are the most abundant taxa in faunal assem- and arrow, and cutting tools were commonly fabricated 122 69 blages, the latter taken using ice-edge not breathing hole from slate rather than flint. 123 70 techniques [21]. There is little evidence that whales were 71 hunted and the occasional whalebone implement is 1.3. Modified Thule 124 72 thought to have been worked from scavenged bone. The 73 bow and arrow was less common and it is believed that Modified or Developed Thule material culture 125 74 lances were used to take caribou and muskoxen. Winter appears to indicate a reduction in whaling and increased 126 75 houses were of snow block construction and meals were emphasis on breathing-hole sealing. Land-based winter 127 76 prepared in soapstone vessels over wick and oil heat. villages also decline in number suggesting a demo- 128 77 Early research placed termination of the Dorset graphic collapse driven by environmental deterioration 129 78 cultural complex at ca. AD 1000 with the appearance of and/or epidemic disease [69]. A reduction in the encoun- 130 79 Thule people. However, stylistic similarities between ter rate of whales may have undermined Classic Thule 131 80 Dorset and Thule harpoon heads led some researchers social structure, thought to have been organized under 132 81 to conclude that contact was sustained and the transi- whaling captains, contributing to an overall decrease in 133 82 tion from Dorset to Thule material culture was a lengthy population density. In general, foraging groups were 134 83 process during which the Thule borrowed numer- more mobile and residential sites both more numerous 135 84 ous traits from their declining Dorset neighbors and ephemeral. Modified Thule subsistence patterns 136 85 [14,15,24,47,58,59,128]. This consensus was later rein- were much like those observed at European contact and 137 86 forced by several post-AD 1000 radiocarbon dates from cultural continuity between Modified Thule and historic 138 87 Dorset sites in the Labrador–Ungava Peninsula indicat- Canadian Arctic Inuit populations is well established. 139 88 ing that the Dorset persisted until possibly as late as AD Changes in Thule diet and settlement pattern vary 140 89 1500, forced south and east by expanding Thule popu- regionally [104] but generally coincide with the onset of 141 90 lations. In rebuttal, Park [84] has argued that post- Neo-boreal cooling, culminating in the “little ice age” 142 91 AD 1000 Labrador–Ungava dates cannot be reliably (ca. AD 1550–1850). Canadian glaciers advanced 143 92 assigned to Dorset occupations and ongoing Thule and both winter and summer temperatures decreased. 144 93 contact with Dorset culture was minimal, limited to Accordingly, shore-fast ice formation began earlier in 145 94 salvaging harpoon heads and other artifacts from the fall and broke-up later in the spring. Because bow- 146 95 abandoned Dorset sites. head whales “. tend to follow the retreating ice margin 147 and enter the high arctic channels only when a maxi- 148 96 1.2. Classic Thule mum of open water is available” ([104]:35), an increase 149 UNCORRECTEDin summer PROOF drift-ice may have resulted in fewer whales 150 97 The Classic Thule period extends from ca. AD 1000– and less predictable migrations, reducing their encounter 151 98 1350 and is distinguished from earlier Dorset and later rate. Barren ground caribou also declined in number as 152 99 Modified Thule adaptive strategies by increased winter cooler, drier temperatures reduced Arctic tundra cover 153 100 sedentism, marked investment in residential site struc- [46,120]. Conversely, some evidence exists for an expan- 154 101 ture and a distinctive and rich material culture [60,62]. sion of ringed seal (Phoca hispida) habitats coincident 155 102 Classic Thule sites are located throughout the Canadian with accelerated shore-fast ice formation [46,102]. 156 103 archipelago and along the northwest coast of Hudson 104 Bay and coastal Greenland [60]. Winter villages consist 105 of well-built, sod and stone residential dwellings with 2. Thule whaling 157 106 whale-bone superstructures, paved flagstone floors and 107 raised sleeping platforms.