Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories

This paper reports on an unusual archaeological feature discovered at the Cadfael site (NiNg-17) on southeastern Victoria Island. Two large boulders apparently served as anvil stones on which quartzite cobbles were fractured. Lithic debris remained in situ on and around the boulders, preserving the...

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Published in:ARCTIC
Main Author: Brink, Jack
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Arctic Institute of North America 1992
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440
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spelling ftunivcalgaryojs:oai:journalhosting.ucalgary.ca:article/64440 2023-05-15T14:19:11+02:00 Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories Brink, Jack 1992-01-01 application/pdf https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440 eng eng The Arctic Institute of North America https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440/48375 https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440 ARCTIC; Vol. 45 No. 2 (1992): June: 105–210; 138-144 1923-1245 0004-0843 Artifacts Dorset culture Inuit archaeology Technology Victoria Island N.W.T./Nunavut info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion research-article 1992 ftunivcalgaryojs 2022-03-22T21:21:38Z This paper reports on an unusual archaeological feature discovered at the Cadfael site (NiNg-17) on southeastern Victoria Island. Two large boulders apparently served as anvil stones on which quartzite cobbles were fractured. Lithic debris remained in situ on and around the boulders, preserving the materials and spatial arrangements as abandoned by the last flintknappers. Analysis of one boulder and the associated artifacts demonstrates that a bipolar technology was employed to split cobbles, presumably to obtain large flakes for use as, or for making into, tools. As far as is known, no similar features have been reported in the literature on the Canadian Arctic, although potential candidates exist on Baffin Island and at Great Bear Lake. The age and cultural affiliation of the Cadfael site anvil boulders are undetermined; however an association with the Late Dorset culture, dating to about 1000 years ago, seems most likely.Key words: arctic archaeology, lithic technology, Dorset culture, Victoria Island RÉSUMÉ. Cette communication concerne la découverte d’un aménagement archéologique plutôt inhabituel trouvé au site Cadfael (NiNg-17), situé au sud de l’île Victoria. Deux grosses pierres y auraient apparemment servies d’enclumes où l’on aurait cassé des galets de quartzite. Les débrislithiques étaient restés in situ sur et autour des grosses roches, préservant ainsi le materiel et les arrangements spatiaux tels qu’abandonnés par les derniers artisans de la pierre. L’analyse d’une de ces grosses pierres et des artefacts qui y étaient associés, a démontré qu’une technique bipolaire fututilisée pour fendre les galets afin d’obtenir de gros éclats utilisés comme d’outils ou dans la fabrication de ces derniers. Il semble que jusqu’ici aucun aménagement similaire n’a été rapporté dans la littérature concernant l’arctiquce canadien, bien que des candidats possibles existent sur la Terre de Baffin et au Grand Lac de l’ Ours. Bien que l’âge et l’affiliation culturelle des énormes enclumes du site Cadfael soient indéterminés, une association avec la période récente de la culture dorsétienne, soit il y a environ 1000 ans avant le présent, est vraisemblable.Mots clés: archéologie de l’Arctique, technologie lithique, culture dorsétienne, île Victoria Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Baffin Island Baffin Dorset culture Great Bear Lake inuit Northwest Territories Nunavut Terre de Baffin Victoria Island University of Calgary Journal Hosting Anvil ENVELOPE(-64.267,-64.267,-65.239,-65.239) Arctic Baffin Island Découverte ENVELOPE(141.558,141.558,-66.775,-66.775) Galets ENVELOPE(139.953,139.953,-66.671,-66.671) Great Bear Lake ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834) les Galets ENVELOPE(139.953,139.953,-66.671,-66.671) Northwest Territories Nunavut ARCTIC 45 2
institution Open Polar
collection University of Calgary Journal Hosting
op_collection_id ftunivcalgaryojs
language English
topic Artifacts
Dorset culture
Inuit archaeology
Technology
Victoria Island
N.W.T./Nunavut
spellingShingle Artifacts
Dorset culture
Inuit archaeology
Technology
Victoria Island
N.W.T./Nunavut
Brink, Jack
Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
topic_facet Artifacts
Dorset culture
Inuit archaeology
Technology
Victoria Island
N.W.T./Nunavut
description This paper reports on an unusual archaeological feature discovered at the Cadfael site (NiNg-17) on southeastern Victoria Island. Two large boulders apparently served as anvil stones on which quartzite cobbles were fractured. Lithic debris remained in situ on and around the boulders, preserving the materials and spatial arrangements as abandoned by the last flintknappers. Analysis of one boulder and the associated artifacts demonstrates that a bipolar technology was employed to split cobbles, presumably to obtain large flakes for use as, or for making into, tools. As far as is known, no similar features have been reported in the literature on the Canadian Arctic, although potential candidates exist on Baffin Island and at Great Bear Lake. The age and cultural affiliation of the Cadfael site anvil boulders are undetermined; however an association with the Late Dorset culture, dating to about 1000 years ago, seems most likely.Key words: arctic archaeology, lithic technology, Dorset culture, Victoria Island RÉSUMÉ. Cette communication concerne la découverte d’un aménagement archéologique plutôt inhabituel trouvé au site Cadfael (NiNg-17), situé au sud de l’île Victoria. Deux grosses pierres y auraient apparemment servies d’enclumes où l’on aurait cassé des galets de quartzite. Les débrislithiques étaient restés in situ sur et autour des grosses roches, préservant ainsi le materiel et les arrangements spatiaux tels qu’abandonnés par les derniers artisans de la pierre. L’analyse d’une de ces grosses pierres et des artefacts qui y étaient associés, a démontré qu’une technique bipolaire fututilisée pour fendre les galets afin d’obtenir de gros éclats utilisés comme d’outils ou dans la fabrication de ces derniers. Il semble que jusqu’ici aucun aménagement similaire n’a été rapporté dans la littérature concernant l’arctiquce canadien, bien que des candidats possibles existent sur la Terre de Baffin et au Grand Lac de l’ Ours. Bien que l’âge et l’affiliation culturelle des énormes enclumes du site Cadfael soient indéterminés, une association avec la période récente de la culture dorsétienne, soit il y a environ 1000 ans avant le présent, est vraisemblable.Mots clés: archéologie de l’Arctique, technologie lithique, culture dorsétienne, île Victoria
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Brink, Jack
author_facet Brink, Jack
author_sort Brink, Jack
title Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
title_short Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
title_full Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
title_fullStr Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
title_full_unstemmed Anvil Boulders and Lithic Reduction on Southern Victoria Island, Northwest Territories
title_sort anvil boulders and lithic reduction on southern victoria island, northwest territories
publisher The Arctic Institute of North America
publishDate 1992
url https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440
long_lat ENVELOPE(-64.267,-64.267,-65.239,-65.239)
ENVELOPE(141.558,141.558,-66.775,-66.775)
ENVELOPE(139.953,139.953,-66.671,-66.671)
ENVELOPE(-120.753,-120.753,65.834,65.834)
ENVELOPE(139.953,139.953,-66.671,-66.671)
geographic Anvil
Arctic
Baffin Island
Découverte
Galets
Great Bear Lake
les Galets
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
geographic_facet Anvil
Arctic
Baffin Island
Découverte
Galets
Great Bear Lake
les Galets
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
genre Arctic
Arctic
Baffin Island
Baffin
Dorset culture
Great Bear Lake
inuit
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Terre de Baffin
Victoria Island
genre_facet Arctic
Arctic
Baffin Island
Baffin
Dorset culture
Great Bear Lake
inuit
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Terre de Baffin
Victoria Island
op_source ARCTIC; Vol. 45 No. 2 (1992): June: 105–210; 138-144
1923-1245
0004-0843
op_relation https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440/48375
https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/arctic/article/view/64440
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