New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use
In 2008, four decades since Meldgaard's work at Alarniq—the type site for Dorset culture—Savelle and Dyke returned to resurvey the site. Archaeological investigations continued in 2015 and 2017 as part of the Foxe Basin Archaeological Project, when Howse conducted further surveys, excavated six...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.92 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731618000926 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/aaq.2018.92 2024-06-09T07:44:13+00:00 New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use Howse, Lesley Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.92 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731618000926 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms American Antiquity volume 84, issue 3, page 531-548 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 journal-article 2019 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.92 2024-05-15T13:13:13Z In 2008, four decades since Meldgaard's work at Alarniq—the type site for Dorset culture—Savelle and Dyke returned to resurvey the site. Archaeological investigations continued in 2015 and 2017 as part of the Foxe Basin Archaeological Project, when Howse conducted further surveys, excavated six semi-subterranean dwellings and two associated middens, and tested five additional features. The new site map and radiocarbon sequence have significantly changed our understanding of site use and beach-level chronology at Alarniq. The number of dwellings varies across the beach ridges, suggesting populations fluctuated throughout the site's use (2,700–800 cal BP). However, the new radiocarbon analyses also indicate that dwellings between 14.5 and 21.5 m above sea level are the same general age and that paleodemography at Alarniq is less straightforward than suggested by the number of features per beach ridge. It appears that ideal house construction location is a stronger indicator of the placement of winter houses at the site than proximity to the shoreline. We suggest this is largely related to site seasonality. These new data have significant implications for our understanding of current Dorset artifact typologies that have largely been developed using the material Meldgaard recovered at the site. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Dorset culture Foxe Basin Cambridge University Press Arctic Canada Foxe Basin ENVELOPE(-77.918,-77.918,65.931,65.931) American Antiquity 84 3 531 548 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
In 2008, four decades since Meldgaard's work at Alarniq—the type site for Dorset culture—Savelle and Dyke returned to resurvey the site. Archaeological investigations continued in 2015 and 2017 as part of the Foxe Basin Archaeological Project, when Howse conducted further surveys, excavated six semi-subterranean dwellings and two associated middens, and tested five additional features. The new site map and radiocarbon sequence have significantly changed our understanding of site use and beach-level chronology at Alarniq. The number of dwellings varies across the beach ridges, suggesting populations fluctuated throughout the site's use (2,700–800 cal BP). However, the new radiocarbon analyses also indicate that dwellings between 14.5 and 21.5 m above sea level are the same general age and that paleodemography at Alarniq is less straightforward than suggested by the number of features per beach ridge. It appears that ideal house construction location is a stronger indicator of the placement of winter houses at the site than proximity to the shoreline. We suggest this is largely related to site seasonality. These new data have significant implications for our understanding of current Dorset artifact typologies that have largely been developed using the material Meldgaard recovered at the site. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Howse, Lesley Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. |
spellingShingle |
Howse, Lesley Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
author_facet |
Howse, Lesley Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. |
author_sort |
Howse, Lesley |
title |
New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
title_short |
New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
title_full |
New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
title_fullStr |
New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
title_full_unstemmed |
New Insights from the Dorset Type Site at Alarniq, Northern Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Beach Level Chronology and Site Use |
title_sort |
new insights from the dorset type site at alarniq, northern foxe basin, arctic canada: beach level chronology and site use |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.92 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731618000926 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-77.918,-77.918,65.931,65.931) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Foxe Basin |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Foxe Basin |
genre |
Arctic Dorset culture Foxe Basin |
genre_facet |
Arctic Dorset culture Foxe Basin |
op_source |
American Antiquity volume 84, issue 3, page 531-548 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2018.92 |
container_title |
American Antiquity |
container_volume |
84 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
531 |
op_container_end_page |
548 |
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1801373000509947904 |