Bois flottés et archéologie de l’Arctique: contribution à la préhistoire récente du détroit de Béring
Until the introduction of commercial wood, driftwood was the main wood resource for people along the coasts of northern North America and Siberia. In Arctic archaeological sites and particularly in the last 2,000 years deposits, wood remains are often well preserved and provide archaeologists with l...
| Published in: | Études/Inuit/Studies |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | French |
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Association Inuksiutiit Katimajiit Inc.
2004
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/012642ar https://doi.org/10.7202/012642ar |
| Summary: | Until the introduction of commercial wood, driftwood was the main wood resource for people along the coasts of northern North America and Siberia. In Arctic archaeological sites and particularly in the last 2,000 years deposits, wood remains are often well preserved and provide archaeologists with large and representative samples of what was used at a site. However these remains have not been analyzed in great detail despite the interest of studying the use of wood in regions lacking trees. This paper discusses the importance of recording systematic and precise data on driftwood accumulations and wood use in order to better understand: 1) the formation of wooden assemblages, 2) driftwood availability at the time the site was occupied, and 3) users’ selection choices. A survey of modern driftwood accumulations, distribution, Availability and composition in Bering Strait and southern Chukchi Peninsula is also presented. It draws on the study of archaeological collections of Alaskan sites dated to the 6th century and the 11th-15th centuries A.D. to show how establishing such data bases should, in the long run, improve the chronological, technical or even social interpretation of wood remains from arctic sites. Jusqu’à la vente de bois commerciaux venus du sud, les populations installées le long des côtes des régions septentrionales d’Amérique du Nord et de Sibérie allaient régulièrement sur les plages s’approvisionner en bois flottés, principale source de ligneux dans ces régions dénuées d’arbres. Dans les sites archéologiques arctiques et particulièrement dans les dépôts des 2 000 dernières années, la conservation des vestiges en bois est souvent remarquable et fournit aux archéologues des assemblages numériquement représentatifs. Pourtant, ces vestiges ont rarement fait l’objet d’études approfondies malgré l’intérêt d’étudier l’exploitation d’une telle ressource dans des régions qui ne la produisent pas. Cet article discute de la nécessité de connaître la nature des accumulations de bois flotté (modalités de ... |
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