An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska
This paper describes and interprets a well-preserved early Thule semi-subterranean dwelling from Cape Espenberg, Alaska. The house architecture is similar in many respects to other early Thule dwellings with a sub-rectangular main room, long sunken entrance tunnel, and associated kitchen area. Howev...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Open Archaeology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2017-0002 |
| _version_ | 1818695865228853248 |
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| author | Norman Lauren E. Y. Friesen T. Max Alix Claire O’Rourke Michael J. E. Mason Owen K. |
| author_facet | Norman Lauren E. Y. Friesen T. Max Alix Claire O’Rourke Michael J. E. Mason Owen K. |
| author_sort | Norman Lauren E. Y. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper describes and interprets a well-preserved early Thule semi-subterranean dwelling from Cape Espenberg, Alaska. The house architecture is similar in many respects to other early Thule dwellings with a sub-rectangular main room, long sunken entrance tunnel, and associated kitchen area. However, the presence of narrow side benches and associated flooring differences adds significantly to the variability present in Thule house form. Radiocarbon dates indicate occupations spanning 1300 to 1450 cal CE. Wood analysis suggests that the house underwent at least one rebuilding episode, which seems to have extended the house occupation into the early 15th century. People acquired mostly small seals for their subsistence, but supplemented their diets in the spring and fall with migrating birds, fish, terrestrial mammals, and other marine mammals. This house represents a fairly typical early Thule coastal winter occupation, but careful excavation of a well-preserved house reveals interesting details in house form, wood use, and subsistence patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:52:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7bcbec5ad0e3495da1f5a53bc81c01d5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-6560 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:52:16Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7bcbec5ad0e3495da1f5a53bc81c01d52022-12-21T21:46:01ZengDe GruyterOpen Archaeology2300-65602017-01-0131174810.1515/opar-2017-0002opar-2017-0002An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, AlaskaNorman Lauren E. Y.0Friesen T. Max1Alix Claire2O’Rourke Michael J. E.3Mason Owen K.4Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, 622 Fraser Hall, 1415 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS, United States of AmericaDepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, CanadaUniversité Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne / CNRS UMR8096, FranceDepartment of Anthropology, University of Toronto, CanadaINSTAAR, University of Colorado, Boulder, United States of AmericaThis paper describes and interprets a well-preserved early Thule semi-subterranean dwelling from Cape Espenberg, Alaska. The house architecture is similar in many respects to other early Thule dwellings with a sub-rectangular main room, long sunken entrance tunnel, and associated kitchen area. However, the presence of narrow side benches and associated flooring differences adds significantly to the variability present in Thule house form. Radiocarbon dates indicate occupations spanning 1300 to 1450 cal CE. Wood analysis suggests that the house underwent at least one rebuilding episode, which seems to have extended the house occupation into the early 15th century. People acquired mostly small seals for their subsistence, but supplemented their diets in the spring and fall with migrating birds, fish, terrestrial mammals, and other marine mammals. This house represents a fairly typical early Thule coastal winter occupation, but careful excavation of a well-preserved house reveals interesting details in house form, wood use, and subsistence patterns.https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2017-0002thuledwellingalaskakotzebue soundwood architecturezooarchaeology |
| spellingShingle | Norman Lauren E. Y. Friesen T. Max Alix Claire O’Rourke Michael J. E. Mason Owen K. An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska Open Archaeology thule dwelling alaska kotzebue sound wood architecture zooarchaeology |
| title | An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska |
| title_full | An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska |
| title_fullStr | An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska |
| title_short | An Early Inupiaq Occupation: Observations on a Thule House From Cape Espenberg, Alaska |
| title_sort | early inupiaq occupation observations on a thule house from cape espenberg alaska |
| topic | thule dwelling alaska kotzebue sound wood architecture zooarchaeology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2017-0002 |
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