The Archaeology of Dogs at the Precontact Site of Nunalleq, Western Alaska

• Main Authors: Masson-MacLean, Edouard, McManus-Fry, Ellen, Britton, Kate
• Format: Book Part
• Language: unknown
• Published: University Press of Florida 2020
• Subjects: Arctic; Yukon; The ''Y''; Kuskokwim; permafrost; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813066363.003.0004

Historically and ethnographically dogs have played a prominent role in the lifeways and lifeworlds of many Arctic and sub-Arctic peoples, and are considered to be a vital aspect of adaptation to living in these regions. Excavations at the precontact site of Nunalleq in the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta in coastal Western Alaska have uncovered a significant proportion of dog bones among the faunal assemblage. The presence of discontinuous permafrost at the site has resulted in the excellent preservation, not only of bone, but also of dog fur and even dog lice in deposits at the site, along with vast organic and inorganic material culture assemblages. Here we present a multi-stranded, cross-disciplinary study of the bioarchaeology and zooarchaeology of dogs at Nunalleq, combining their remains, with the study of material culture, soils and other bodies of evidence, and the ethno-historic record. We go “beyond domestication” and examine the utilitarian role of dogs at Nunalleq, the role in foodways, and in social and symbolic space at the site, providing new insights into this vital aspect of Precontact animal-human relationships in the Y-K Delta.