Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada
The only known evidence of Dorset Palaeoeskimo drum use ever documented was salvaged decades ago along with thousands of other Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo artifacts from an eroding coastal site (PfFm-1) at Button Point on Bylot Island, Nunavut (Figure 1) (Mary-Rousselière 1976, Taylor 1971-1972). These...
Published in: | Open Archaeology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
De Gruyter
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0004 https://doaj.org/article/0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 2023-05-15T15:08:48+02:00 Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada Rast Tim Wolff Christopher B. 2016-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0004 https://doaj.org/article/0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 EN eng De Gruyter http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opar.2016.2.issue-1/opar-2016-0004/opar-2016-0004.xml?format=INT https://doaj.org/toc/2300-6560 2300-6560 doi:10.1515/opar-2016-0004 https://doaj.org/article/0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 Open Archaeology, Vol 2, Iss 1 (2016) Arctic Drums Shamanism Palaeoeskimo Archaeology CC1-960 article 2016 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0004 2022-12-31T06:07:22Z The only known evidence of Dorset Palaeoeskimo drum use ever documented was salvaged decades ago along with thousands of other Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo artifacts from an eroding coastal site (PfFm-1) at Button Point on Bylot Island, Nunavut (Figure 1) (Mary-Rousselière 1976, Taylor 1971-1972). These finds consist of two nearly complete wooden drums and various other drum frame fragments that date to the centuries surrounding A.D. 1000 (Taylor 1971-1972). In the spring of 2014, the authors and Lori White re-examined all of the wood fragments recovered from Button Point, documenting the known drum pieces and discovering nearly a dozen previously unidentified drum fragments. These fragments represent instruments in a range of sizes, but with a consistent and uniquely Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo style that has not been identified prior to our research. In this paper, we discuss a proposed typology of the Dorset drums and drum fragments, and contrast their stylistic attributes with subsequent historic Inuit drum morphology in the region. We will also discuss some of the functional aspects of how the drums were manufactured and the use of foraged coastal resources in their construction. Finally, we offer an interpretation of the driftwood-constructed drums as part of what we believe to be elements of Late Dorset shamanism. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Bylot Island inuit Nunavut Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut Open Archaeology 2 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic Drums Shamanism Palaeoeskimo Archaeology CC1-960 |
spellingShingle |
Arctic Drums Shamanism Palaeoeskimo Archaeology CC1-960 Rast Tim Wolff Christopher B. Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
topic_facet |
Arctic Drums Shamanism Palaeoeskimo Archaeology CC1-960 |
description |
The only known evidence of Dorset Palaeoeskimo drum use ever documented was salvaged decades ago along with thousands of other Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo artifacts from an eroding coastal site (PfFm-1) at Button Point on Bylot Island, Nunavut (Figure 1) (Mary-Rousselière 1976, Taylor 1971-1972). These finds consist of two nearly complete wooden drums and various other drum frame fragments that date to the centuries surrounding A.D. 1000 (Taylor 1971-1972). In the spring of 2014, the authors and Lori White re-examined all of the wood fragments recovered from Button Point, documenting the known drum pieces and discovering nearly a dozen previously unidentified drum fragments. These fragments represent instruments in a range of sizes, but with a consistent and uniquely Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo style that has not been identified prior to our research. In this paper, we discuss a proposed typology of the Dorset drums and drum fragments, and contrast their stylistic attributes with subsequent historic Inuit drum morphology in the region. We will also discuss some of the functional aspects of how the drums were manufactured and the use of foraged coastal resources in their construction. Finally, we offer an interpretation of the driftwood-constructed drums as part of what we believe to be elements of Late Dorset shamanism. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rast Tim Wolff Christopher B. |
author_facet |
Rast Tim Wolff Christopher B. |
author_sort |
Rast Tim |
title |
Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_short |
Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full |
Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Instruments of Change: Late Dorset Palaeoeskimo Drums and Shamanism on Coastal Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_sort |
instruments of change: late dorset palaeoeskimo drums and shamanism on coastal bylot island, nunavut, canada |
publisher |
De Gruyter |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0004 https://doaj.org/article/0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 |
geographic |
Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Bylot Island Canada Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Bylot Island inuit Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Arctic Bylot Island inuit Nunavut |
op_source |
Open Archaeology, Vol 2, Iss 1 (2016) |
op_relation |
http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opar.2016.2.issue-1/opar-2016-0004/opar-2016-0004.xml?format=INT https://doaj.org/toc/2300-6560 2300-6560 doi:10.1515/opar-2016-0004 https://doaj.org/article/0104279e94704b9a825cd61323bf57a3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2016-0004 |
container_title |
Open Archaeology |
container_volume |
2 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766340088136990720 |