Like a fish out of water:Is Alces alces a semi-aquatic animal?

• Main Author: Philippsen, Bente
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Alces alces
• Online Access: https://pure.au.dk/portal/da/publications/like-a-fish-out-of-water(2d6e8c2f-0e23-4373-aa67-86885f445ae7).html

Terrestrial herbivores are usually considered "safe" for radiocarbon dating, as they incorporate carbon in equilibrium with the atmosphere. Radiocarbon reservoir effects are therefore not expected in these animals. One species, however, might show reservoir effects: the elk/moose (Alces alces) is reported to incorporate large proportions of aquatic plants into its diet. Up to 50% of an elk's diet may consist of aquatic plants. As those plants can have reservoir ages of up to thousands of years, significant reservoir effects are possible in elk bones. In summer, elk are observed to spend much of their time cooling down in lakes and rivers, munching away on the aquatic vegetation. This is the season when the antlers are formed, so the reservoir effect is expected to be greatest in the antlers. In this study, radiocarbon dating of historical known-age samples, archaeological elk bones from secure contexts, and paired samples of elk and terrestrial samples, or of elk bones and antlers, will show how great the risk of reservoir effects in elk is. I aim at a great temporal and geographical variety of sample origins, with a special focus on areas with carbonate-rich water, where the largest effects are expected. Finally, I will outline the importance of elk in archaeology as an economical and symbolic resource - and that elk could well have been perceived as a semi-aquatic animal in past cultures.