Where archaeology and history meet; historical-archaeological research after the try-house of Hoorn in Smeerenburg on Spitsbergen

• Main Author: Hacquebord, Louwrens
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Dutch
• Published: Koninklijke Nederlandse Oudheidkundige Bond (KNOB) 1990
• Subjects: Arctic; Boil The; Jan Mayen; Amsterdam Island; Smeerenburg; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://bulletin.knob.nl/index.php/knob/article/view/Hacquebord14

Striving after l'histoire totale, which describes all expressions of human life historians make use of representations (iconography) and inventories. The object itself however is studied by archaeologists and historians of art most of the social historians mainly considering the object an illustration. Still the historian's method strongly resembles the archaeologist's. The archaeologist studies artefacts to comprehend daily life in the past as well as the social stratification of a certain period. Both sciences could serve one another, history relating material archaeological data to 'historical reality' created by means of written accounts. The project in Smeerenburg which has been executed by the Arctic Centre of the State University of Groningen proved that archaeological research can enrich and even correct historical research. No inhabitation took place before and after Smeerenburg. Archaeological and historical data could be confronted because written and iconographical sources on this settlement were available as well. Historical facts: To defy the English at the whale-fishery in the waters of Spitsbergen merchants from different Dutch ports founded the North Company (1614-1642) thus forming a chamber-syndicate of enterprises. Try-houses were built to boil the whale's blubber to train-oil. The settlement Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island consisted of several of these try-houses. After the discovery of Jan Mayen (1614) the centre of gravity of Dutch whale-fishery soon moved to this island. After a difficult, less lucrative period from 1625 to 1630 the North Company declined quickly. From 1642 on whale-fishery was taken over by small-scaled shipping companies. Although the Dutch hunted whales in the waters of Spitsbergen till deep into the 18th century the try-houses were left around 1600 because of the increase of ice years, which radically shortened the labour season. According to a printed map the try-house of the Chamber of Hoorn (1625) was situated on the western side of Smeerenburg. Written sources ...