Palaeo-Eskimo chrono-cultural characterization and evolution in the Foxe Basin (Canada) : Typological and technological study of the osseous industries

• Main Author: Houmard, Claire
• Other Authors: Paris 10, Université Laval (Québec, Canada), Roux, Valentine, Woollett, James
• Format: Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Paléoesquimau; Arctique; Technologie; Industrie osseuse; Canada; Palaeo-Eskimo culture; Arctic; Technology; Osseous industry; archeo; geo; Foxe Basin; Igloolik; Munk; Nunavik; Parry; Arctique*; Dorsétien; eskimo*
• Online Access: http://www.theses.fr/2011PA100074

The studied ivory, bone and antler artifacts from the Canadian Arctic, only correspond to harpoon heads that served to build the Palaeo-Eskimo chronology (~ 4000-500 B.P.). To ascertain the chronological subdivision between the Pre-Dorset and Dorset cultures a typological study associated with a technological approach was performed. Palaeo-Eskimo technological and economical practices have been derived from the study of six sites located around the Foxe Basin: Igloolik region (Parry Hill, Lyon Hill, Jens Munk, Freuchen and Kaersut sites) and northern Nunavik (Tayara site). The assumption of a Pre-Dorset/Dorset continuum could be confirmed. The observed evolution of osseous industries during Palaeo-Eskimo period (and more precisely the Pre-Dorset/Dorset transition) has been interpreted in terms of socio-cultural changes. The observed technological changes (i.e. harpoon head hafting) could be associated with new patterns of raw material exploitation (diversification in the selection of materials and anatomical elements, as well as functional categories). They testify to the important socio-cultural changes (collective rather than individual hunting) already observed in the settlement patterns (aggregation of the humans in larger houses for longer time periods). L’archéologie de l’Arctique canadien, bien qu’ayant fait une large place à certaines catégories d’objets, telles les têtes de harpon, n’a encore que peu exploité la grande richesse informative des objets en matières dures d’origine animale. Une périodisation typologique a été réalisée sur l’ensemble de la période du Paléoesquimau (~ 4000-500 B.P.), classiquement subdivisée en Prédorsétien et Dorsétien au Canada. Les pratiques techniques et économiques des Paléoesquimaux ont été abordées à partir de l’étude de six sites localisés autour du Golfe de Foxe, région centrale pour l’archéologie arctique : région d’Igloolik (Parry Hill, Lyon Hill, Jens Munk, Freuchen et Kaersut) et nord du Nunavik (Tayara). Les données typologiques et technologiques obtenues ...