Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art
During the middle decades of the nineteenth century the folk-art tradition ‘scrimshaw’, predominantly using the teeth of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), flourished among the crews of industrial whaling ships. Scrimshaw collections represent a unique cultural and biological archive of pre-indu...
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University of Cambridge
2023
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ftunivcam:oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/352782 2024-01-21T10:09:43+01:00 Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art Courto, Laura 2023-01-31 application/pdf https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/352782 https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 eng eng University of Cambridge Department of Archaeology Murray Edwards College https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/352782 https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 All Rights Reserved https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/ biomolecular archaeology British whaling historical ecology micro-computed tomography scrimshaw sperm whales Thesis Doctoral Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2023 ftunivcam https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 2023-12-28T23:19:36Z During the middle decades of the nineteenth century the folk-art tradition ‘scrimshaw’, predominantly using the teeth of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), flourished among the crews of industrial whaling ships. Scrimshaw collections represent a unique cultural and biological archive of pre-industrial/industrial sperm whale populations, but the rarity, collectability, and high value of genuine nineteenth century scrimshaw specimens have precluded meaningful scientific investigation. Building on classical art historical methods, the multidisciplinary approach applied in this thesis allows for the examination of scrimshaw artefacts beyond imagery and carving techniques, providing additional insight into the biological history of the whales caught through detailed micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning and biomolecular analysis. The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), in Cambridge, United Kingdom, holds a significant collection of pictorial sperm whale scrimshaw from the early nineteenth century, depicting clear British iconography/imagery. Relevant scrimshaw specimens from the SPRI collection, and undecorated sperm whale teeth, were scanned utilising high-powered micro-CT technology to investigate internal tooth morphology, assess preservation, and create a digital archive of the artefacts prior to, and post, destructive sampling. This research demonstrates that high powered micro-CT imaging can reveal more detailed information about the internal structure of sperm whale teeth and scrimshaw specimens than has been achieved in past studies. Dentine samples were then taken from the concave tooth roots of select samples for biomolecular analysis. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a novel sampling method using medical bone scrapers that better facilitate in situ sampling of scrimshaw artefacts and ivory in museum collections than traditional sampling methods such as drilling and longitudinal sectioning. For this study, biomolecular analysis was primarily utilised to molecularly sex the scrimshaw ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Physeter macrocephalus Scott Polar Research Institute Sperm whale Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftunivcam |
language |
English |
topic |
biomolecular archaeology British whaling historical ecology micro-computed tomography scrimshaw sperm whales |
spellingShingle |
biomolecular archaeology British whaling historical ecology micro-computed tomography scrimshaw sperm whales Courto, Laura Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
topic_facet |
biomolecular archaeology British whaling historical ecology micro-computed tomography scrimshaw sperm whales |
description |
During the middle decades of the nineteenth century the folk-art tradition ‘scrimshaw’, predominantly using the teeth of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), flourished among the crews of industrial whaling ships. Scrimshaw collections represent a unique cultural and biological archive of pre-industrial/industrial sperm whale populations, but the rarity, collectability, and high value of genuine nineteenth century scrimshaw specimens have precluded meaningful scientific investigation. Building on classical art historical methods, the multidisciplinary approach applied in this thesis allows for the examination of scrimshaw artefacts beyond imagery and carving techniques, providing additional insight into the biological history of the whales caught through detailed micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning and biomolecular analysis. The Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI), in Cambridge, United Kingdom, holds a significant collection of pictorial sperm whale scrimshaw from the early nineteenth century, depicting clear British iconography/imagery. Relevant scrimshaw specimens from the SPRI collection, and undecorated sperm whale teeth, were scanned utilising high-powered micro-CT technology to investigate internal tooth morphology, assess preservation, and create a digital archive of the artefacts prior to, and post, destructive sampling. This research demonstrates that high powered micro-CT imaging can reveal more detailed information about the internal structure of sperm whale teeth and scrimshaw specimens than has been achieved in past studies. Dentine samples were then taken from the concave tooth roots of select samples for biomolecular analysis. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a novel sampling method using medical bone scrapers that better facilitate in situ sampling of scrimshaw artefacts and ivory in museum collections than traditional sampling methods such as drilling and longitudinal sectioning. For this study, biomolecular analysis was primarily utilised to molecularly sex the scrimshaw ... |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
Courto, Laura |
author_facet |
Courto, Laura |
author_sort |
Courto, Laura |
title |
Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
title_short |
Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
title_full |
Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
title_fullStr |
Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
title_full_unstemmed |
Scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
title_sort |
scrimshaw: unlocking the cultural and biological archive of sea mammal art |
publisher |
University of Cambridge |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/352782 https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 |
genre |
Physeter macrocephalus Scott Polar Research Institute Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Physeter macrocephalus Scott Polar Research Institute Sperm whale |
op_relation |
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/352782 https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 |
op_rights |
All Rights Reserved https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.98977 |
_version_ |
1788700822673031168 |