Trevor Orchard
University of Toronto, Anthropology, Department Member
- University of Victoria, Anthropology, Alumnusadd
- Anthropology, Archaeology, Historical Ecology, First Nations History, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 57 moreArchaeology of shell middens, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeomalacology, Maritime Archaeology, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Haida Gwaii, Microblade Technology Haida Gwaii, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Environmental Archaeology, International council of Archaeozoology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Osteoarchaeology, Osteometry, Fishing Technology, Fishing in antiquity, Ancient Fishing, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Taphonomy, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Human-Environment Interactions, Paleoecology, Palaeoecology, Archaeozoology, Archaeozoology, Taphonomy, Fish Bones, Ichthyoarchaeology, Intertidal archaeology, Marine Mammals, Northwest Coast, Human-Animal Relations, Archaeology of Hunting, North Pacific archaeology, Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems, Human impacts on ancient environments, Applied Archaeology, Ichtyoarchaeology, Fish Weirs, Paleo-Environment Reconstruction, Longue durée, Melinda Zeder, Animal Remains, Anthropology of Fishing, Archaeology of fishing, Bird remains (Zooarchaeology), Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, North American archaeology, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), History of fishing gears and fisheries, Anthropocene, Human Impact on Environment, Ontario Archaeology, Southern Ontario prehistory, and Archaeology Ontarioedit
On behalf of the organizing committee, we are happy to announce that the 22nd ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 12 to 17 August, 2024. These dates are inclusive of the post-conference field... more
On behalf of the organizing committee, we are happy to announce that the 22nd ICAZ Fish Remains Working Group meeting will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 12 to 17 August, 2024. These dates are inclusive of the post-conference field trip. Conference sessions will run from August 12 to 15, with the field trip occurring on August 16 and 17. More details are available on the conference website, linked below. We welcome abstracts on topics pertaining to historical and archaeological use of fish by humans. We uphold the tradition of past FRWG conferences to be widely inclusive of studies employing differing methodologies and examining past human and fish interactions globally. Both our abstract submission and registration systems are now open. The deadline for abstract submission is May 15, 2024, and presenters must register for the conference by June 15, 2024. Links for submission of abstracts and for registration, as well as additional information on all aspects of the conference, can be found on the conference website (https://uoft.me/frwg-2024).
This study examines changes in Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact and early contact periods in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia). This was primarily achieved through the analysis of faunal and... more
This study examines changes in Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact and early contact periods in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia). This was primarily achieved through the analysis of faunal and artifactual assemblages recovered from archaeological excavations at eight village sites in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (southernmost Haida Gwaii). In addition, extensive syntheses of early historic accounts, ethnographic descriptions, and previous archaeological work provide context for the interpretation of the archaeological data and complementary data on the economic responses of the Haida to European contact and the maritime fur trade.
The new archaeological data presented in this volume, combined with previously published results, form the basis of a detailed description of the nature of Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact period (ca. 500 AD to 1774 AD). Most notably, these data clarify a previously recognized shift from a more generalized, rockfish-oriented economy to a more specialised, salmon-focused economy between 1,200 BP and 800 BP. These distinct economic adaptations, now widely demonstrated for southern Haida Gwaii, have been formalized as an earlier Xyuu daw Phase (ca. 2,000 BP to 1,000 BP) and a later Qayjuu Phase (ca. 1,000 BP to contact), both within the previously described late Graham Tradition.
While the maritime fur trade increased the focus of the Haida on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture, it had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Salmon continued to dominate Haida subsistence, while the majority of the introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida tradition into trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs. More profound changes to Haida culture arose during the subsequent period of increasing European encroachment and settlement.
The new archaeological data presented in this volume, combined with previously published results, form the basis of a detailed description of the nature of Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact period (ca. 500 AD to 1774 AD). Most notably, these data clarify a previously recognized shift from a more generalized, rockfish-oriented economy to a more specialised, salmon-focused economy between 1,200 BP and 800 BP. These distinct economic adaptations, now widely demonstrated for southern Haida Gwaii, have been formalized as an earlier Xyuu daw Phase (ca. 2,000 BP to 1,000 BP) and a later Qayjuu Phase (ca. 1,000 BP to contact), both within the previously described late Graham Tradition.
While the maritime fur trade increased the focus of the Haida on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture, it had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Salmon continued to dominate Haida subsistence, while the majority of the introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida tradition into trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs. More profound changes to Haida culture arose during the subsequent period of increasing European encroachment and settlement.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 40 moreArchaeomalacology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Bird remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeology of Hunting, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Historical Ecology, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, First Nations History, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, European Contact Americas, Pinnipeds, northwest coast Indians diet, Archaeological Faunal Analysis, Shell Artifacts, Fisheries, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Fish Bones, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Haida Gwaii, Archaeology of fishing, Archaeology of Colonialism, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
"The detailed estimation of the original live size of faunal specimens from archaeological assemblage provides a particularly useful, though generally under-employed, tool for zooarchaeological analysis. Though a variety of methods have... more
"The detailed estimation of the original live size of faunal specimens from archaeological assemblage provides a particularly useful, though generally under-employed, tool for zooarchaeological analysis. Though a variety of methods have been employed in the generation of such size estimations, statistical regression provides perhaps the most accurate estimations of the original live length and weight of fish specimens found in archaeological contexts. Such estimations are useful for the reconstruction of diet and the investigation of past environments. Furthermore, detailed size estimations can contribute to a refinement of other methods of faunal quantification, such as the calculation of minimum numbers of individuals (MNI).
Statistical regression was applied to the comparison of skeletal element size and the live length and weight of six fish taxa: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius), Greenling (Hexagrammos sp.), Rockfish (Sebastes sp.), and Irish Lords (Hemilepidotus sp.). For each taxon, a selection of skeletal elements were measured from comparative specimens and these data sets used to generate regression formulae which compared the known live length and weight to specific skeletal element measurements. This resulted in the creation of a easily applicable tool for the estimation of the live size and weight of skeletal specimens from archaeological contexts.
This methodology was tested in the context of a case study involving the analysis of fish remains from five archaeological sites in the Aleutian archipelago. Specifically, this included two sites on Adak island, a single site on Buldir island, and two sites on Shemya Island, providing a sample that spans the central and western parts of the Aleutian chain. In the assessment of the relative contributions of the taxa under consideration to the diet of the prehistoric inhabitants of these sites, the regression approach was shown to produce superior results to those obtained through traditional meat weight calculations. The results of this analysis also provide insight into temporal changes in the local environment and ecology."
Statistical regression was applied to the comparison of skeletal element size and the live length and weight of six fish taxa: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius), Greenling (Hexagrammos sp.), Rockfish (Sebastes sp.), and Irish Lords (Hemilepidotus sp.). For each taxon, a selection of skeletal elements were measured from comparative specimens and these data sets used to generate regression formulae which compared the known live length and weight to specific skeletal element measurements. This resulted in the creation of a easily applicable tool for the estimation of the live size and weight of skeletal specimens from archaeological contexts.
This methodology was tested in the context of a case study involving the analysis of fish remains from five archaeological sites in the Aleutian archipelago. Specifically, this included two sites on Adak island, a single site on Buldir island, and two sites on Shemya Island, providing a sample that spans the central and western parts of the Aleutian chain. In the assessment of the relative contributions of the taxa under consideration to the diet of the prehistoric inhabitants of these sites, the regression approach was shown to produce superior results to those obtained through traditional meat weight calculations. The results of this analysis also provide insight into temporal changes in the local environment and ecology."
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, and 27 morePaleodiet, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Historical Ecology, Human impacts on ancient environments, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Allometry, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Regression Analysis, Rockfish, Aleutian islands, Fish Bones, Osteometry, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Fish Size, Aleut History, Ichtyoarchaeology, Archaeology of fishing, Pacific Cod, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
This dissertation examines changes in Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact and early contact periods in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia). This was primarily achieved through the analysis of faunal... more
This dissertation examines changes in Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact and early contact periods in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia). This was primarily achieved through the analysis of faunal and artifactual assemblages recovered from archaeological excavations at eight village sites in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (southernmost Haida Gwaii). In addition, extensive syntheses of early historic accounts, ethnographic descriptions, and previous archaeological work provide context for the interpretation of the archaeological data and complementary data on the economic responses of the Haida to European contact and the maritime fur trade.
The new archaeological data presented in this dissertation, combined with previously published results, form the basis of a detailed description of the nature of Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact period (ca. 500 AD to 1774 AD). Most notably, these data clarify a previously recognized shift from a more generalized, rockfish-oriented economy to a more specialised, salmon focused economy between 1,200 BP and 800 BP. These distinct economic adaptations, now widely demonstrated for southern Haida Gwaii, have been formalized as an earlier Xyuu daw Phase (ca. 2,000 BP to 1,000 BP) and a later Qayjuu Phase (ca. 1,000 BP to contact), both within the previously described late Graham Tradition.
While the maritime fur trade and the incorporation of the Haida into the European capitalist world system increased the focus of the Haida on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture, it had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Salmon continued to dominate Haida subsistence, while the majority of the introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida tradition into trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs. More profound changes to Haida culture, including the rise of Haida economic dependency on the world economy, arose during the subsequent period of increasing European encroachment and settlement.
The new archaeological data presented in this dissertation, combined with previously published results, form the basis of a detailed description of the nature of Haida economic adaptations during the late pre-contact period (ca. 500 AD to 1774 AD). Most notably, these data clarify a previously recognized shift from a more generalized, rockfish-oriented economy to a more specialised, salmon focused economy between 1,200 BP and 800 BP. These distinct economic adaptations, now widely demonstrated for southern Haida Gwaii, have been formalized as an earlier Xyuu daw Phase (ca. 2,000 BP to 1,000 BP) and a later Qayjuu Phase (ca. 1,000 BP to contact), both within the previously described late Graham Tradition.
While the maritime fur trade and the incorporation of the Haida into the European capitalist world system increased the focus of the Haida on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture, it had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Salmon continued to dominate Haida subsistence, while the majority of the introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida tradition into trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs. More profound changes to Haida culture, including the rise of Haida economic dependency on the world economy, arose during the subsequent period of increasing European encroachment and settlement.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, and 35 moreHuman-Animal Relations, Archaeomalacology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Bird remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeology of Hunting, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, First Nations History, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, European Contact Americas, Sea Otters, Fish Bones, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Archaeology of fishing, Archaeology of Colonialism, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Statistical regression provides a useful technique for the estimation of the original live length and weight of fish specimens found in archaeological contexts. This methodology was applied to the comparison of skeletal element size and... more
Statistical regression provides a useful technique for the estimation of the original live length and weight of fish specimens found in archaeological contexts. This methodology was applied to the comparison of skeletal element size and the live length and weight of six fish taxa: Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus), Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius), Greenling (Hexagrammos sp.), Rockfish (Sebastes sp.), and Irish Lords (Hemilepidotus sp.). A selection of skeletal elements were measured from comparative specimens of each taxa and these data sets were used to generate regression formulae which compared the known live length and weight to specific skeletal element measurements. These formulae were then applied to the analysis of fish remains from several sites on Adak, Buldir, and Shemya Islands in the Aleutian archipelago. The regression approach is shown to produce superior results to those obtained through traditional meat weight calculations. The results of this analysis also provide insight into the subsistence of prehistoric Aleut populations and changes in the local ecology over time.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Environmental Archaeology, and 25 moreFish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Human impacts on ancient environments, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Allometry, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Regression Analysis, Rockfish, Aleutian islands, Fish Bones, Osteometry, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Aleut History, Archaeology of fishing, Pacific Cod, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
More than a century of archaeological work in Ontario and surrounding areas has resulted in a massive quantity of archaeological data and collections, much of which has been subject to relatively limited analyses. For the past several... more
More than a century of archaeological work in Ontario and surrounding areas has resulted in a massive quantity of archaeological data and collections, much of which has been subject to relatively limited analyses. For the past several years, our research team has been working on (re-)analyzing legacy faunal collections to understand past subsistence and economic activities, technologies, environments, and social relations at individual sites, while also contributing data and insights to larger, multi-site research projects that also use non-legacy data generated by ourselves and others. Drawing on this growing database of new and legacy zooarchaeological data, we have started to conduct largescale meta-analyses to explore broad trends across various aspects of the archaeology and historical ecology of the Lower Great Lakes region through roughly the past 1000 years. A theme that runs through all of this research is our desire to gain a better understanding of species that are now extinct, extirpated, or endangered. Through a combination of zooarchaeological meta-analysis and the use of modern analytical tools and techniques—including geographic information systems (GIS), stable isotope analysis, and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis—our research is providing fascinating insights into past human interactions with, and the historical ecology of, such animals as the now-extinct passenger pigeon and the now-extirpated (locally extinct) Atlantic salmon. In this paper, as part of our commitment to sharing the results of our research with a wider audience, we provide a brief overview of some of our completed and ongoing research projects and publications that show how we use legacy faunal collections and legacy faunal data as a basis to explore various aspects of past human–animal relationships and the ecological history of these iconic species—and other species as well—in southern Ontario and the broader Great Lakes region.
Research Interests:
More than a century of academic research; avocational collecting; and, more recently, cultural resource management archaeology has produced a massive number of archaeological collections from sites in Ontario. There has been relatively... more
More than a century of academic research; avocational collecting; and, more recently, cultural resource management archaeology has produced a massive number of archaeological collections from sites in Ontario. There has been relatively widespread discussion over the past several decades of the “curation crisis” that has arisen from this increasingly large-scale production of archaeological collections. We focus here on creating broader understanding of the potential of such collections for archaeological research and for engaging with other interested parties. We aim to work toward making such collections better understood and more widely accessible. Legacy collections can be a valuable resource for research and can help advance an understanding of Ontario’s heritage. We highlight the challenges of connecting researchers with collections and present ideas on how to make them more accessible. Drawing on our experiences in CRM, museum, and university contexts, we aim to present a multi-faceted perspective on facilitating research with archaeological collections. Through this perspective, we address what legacy collections are; who has generated these collections; where such collections can be found in the Ontario context; how researchers can identify and access legacy collections; and, perhaps most importantly, why researchers might benefit from working with legacy collections. Finally, we aim to highlight the vast, and largely under-exploited, research potential of legacy collections by highlighting some examples of recent research projects that have drawn upon legacy collections.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Environmental Archaeology, Conservation Biology, Archaeological Science, and 15 moreArchaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Conservation Ecology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Fish and Marine Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, First Nations of Canada, Faunal Analysis, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, European Contact Americas, Fish Bones, Archaeology of fishing, and Archaeology of Colonialism
Despite the longstanding significance of North America's Great Lakes, little is known about their preindustrial ecology. Here, we report on when and how humans first became a main driver of Lake Ontario's nutrient dynamics. Nitrogen... more
Despite the longstanding significance of North America's Great Lakes, little is known about their preindustrial ecology. Here, we report on when and how humans first became a main driver of Lake Ontario's nutrient dynamics. Nitrogen isotope analyses of archaeological fish show that, prior to the 1830s, Lake Ontario's nitrogen cycle and the trophic ecology of its top predators had remained stable for at least 800 yrs, despite Indigenous and historical European agricultural land management across the region. An abrupt shift in the nitrogen isotope composition of Lake Ontario's fish community is evident in the early to mid-19 th century and reflects the initiation of industrial-scale forest clearance. These data show how the nitrogenous nutrient regimes of even the world's largest freshwater ecosystems can be highly sensitive to short-term watershed forest cover disturbances and indicate a profound shift in the relationship between humans and their environment. Throughout the 20 th century, increased anthropogenic contributions of reactive nitrogen to freshwater environments have profoundly altered aquatic biogeochemical cycles and broader nutrient dynamics, resulting in widespread ecosystem dysfunction, loss of biodiversity, and degraded water quality (Smith and Schindler 2009). While numerous studies have documented how increasing anthro-pogenic nitrogen inputs are incorporated into aquatic food webs, promoting cultural eutrophication and altering tro-phic dynamics in the recent past (Schindler et al. 2006), less consideration has been given to how historical and preindustrial populations have impacted aquatic ecosystems.
During the Late Woodland period in what is now the Canadian province of Ontario, Indigenous peoples met their nutritional needs through a combination of maize horticulture, gathering, hunting, and fishing. Recent research on stable... more
During the Late Woodland period in what is now the Canadian province of Ontario, Indigenous peoples met their nutritional needs through a combination of maize horticulture, gathering, hunting, and fishing. Recent research on stable isotopes in human tissue (Pfeiffer et al. 2016) suggests that the protein component in the diet of one of the groups of Iroquoian-speaking peoples in Ontario varies over time and came in part from high trophic level fish taxa. We present a pilot study that examines similar questions by means of zooarchaeological data from > 100 previously analysed zooarchaeological assemblages using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Our findings indicate differences in the consumption of fish through time. In addition, we observe patterned variation across the landscape of southern Ontario. In areas close to Lake Ontario, the primary high tropic level fishes exploited were members of the family Salmonidae. By contrast, in the Lake Erie drainage, Sander spp., in the family Percidae, makes a greater contribution to zooarchaeological samples. These findings suggest that the Indigenous peoples exploiting these fish sources would have faced different challenges with respect to harvest technology and scheduling.
Research Interests:
Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), though of varying importance to First Nations across the Northwest Coast of North America, was a particularly important resource for the Haida, Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Makah living on the... more
Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), though of varying importance to First Nations across the Northwest Coast of North America, was a particularly important resource for the Haida, Tlingit, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Makah living on the exposed outer coast of the region. The dietary importance and scale of halibut use, however, are difficult to determine due to seemingly inconsistent ethnographic, ethnohistoric, and archaeological accounts. Among the Haida and Makah, ethnographic descriptions highlight the importance of both halibut and salmon; early historic accounts mention halibut repeatedly, but only rarely mention salmon; while archaeological data point to a high abundance of salmon, and reveal only low, though persistent, quantities of halibut. Drawing on examples from Haida and Makah territories, this paper examines these various lines of evidence and explores possible biases that account for the differences in the importance and relative abundance of salmon and halibut that they reflect. We aim to compare these variable sources of data to gain greater insight into the nature of halibut use throughout the Late Holocene on the Northwest Coast.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 14 moreArchaeozoology, Subsistence systems (Archaeology), Historical Ecology, Subsistence Organization (Archaeology), Northwest Coast, Faunal Analysis, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Faunal Remains, Archaeozoology, Prehistory, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Haida Gwaii, Stable nitrogen isotope, Stable Carbon Isotopes, and Historical Marine Ecology
Research Interests:
Over the last century, Pacific herring, a forage fish of tremendous cultural, economic, and ecological importance, has declined in abundance over much of its range. We synthesize archaeological fisheries data spanning the past 10,000 y... more
Over the last century, Pacific herring, a forage fish of tremendous cultural, economic, and ecological importance, has declined in abundance over much of its range. We synthesize archaeological fisheries data spanning the past 10,000 y from Puget Sound in Washington to southeast Alaska to extend the ecological baseline for herring and contextualize the dynamics of modern industrial fisheries. While modern herring populations can be erratic and exhibit catastrophic declines, the archaeological record indicates a pattern of consistent abundance, providing an example of long-term sustainability and resilience in a fishery known for its modern variability. The most parsimonious explanation for the discrepancy between herring abundance in the ancient and more recent past is industrial harvesting over the last century.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Political Ecology, and 16 moreEnvironmental History, Environmental Anthropology, Ecological Economics, Marine Ecology, Fisheries, Archaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Ecology, Fisheries Management, Environmental Sustainability, Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Herring, and Marine Environmental History
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), a foundation of coastal social-ecological systems, is in decline throughout much of its range. We assembled data on fish bones from 171 archaeological sites from Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington... more
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii), a foundation of coastal social-ecological systems, is in decline throughout much of its range. We assembled data on fish bones from 171 archaeological sites from Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington to provide proxy measures of past herring distribution and abundance. The dataset represents 435,777 fish bones, dating throughout the Holocene, but primarily to the last 2,500 y. Herring is the single-most ubiquitous fish taxon (99% ubiquity) and among the two most abundant taxa in 80% of individual assemblages. Herring bones are archaeologically abundant in all regions, but are superabundant in the northern Salish Sea and southwestern Vancouver Island areas. Analyses of temporal variability in 50 well-sampled sites reveals that herring exhibits consistently high abundance (>20% of fish bones) and consistently low variance (<10%) within the majority of sites (88% and 96%, respectively). We pose three alternative hypotheses to account for the disjunction between modern and archaeological herring populations. We reject the first hypothesis that the archaeological data overestimate past abundance and underestimate past variability. We are unable to distinguish between the second two hypotheses, which both assert that the archaeological data reflect a higher mean abundance of herring in the past, but differ in whether variability was similar to or less than that observed recently. In either case, sufficient herring was consistently available to meet the needs of harvesters, even if variability is damped in the archaeological record. These results provide baseline information prior to herring depletion and can inform modern management.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Fisheries, Fisheries Management, and 11 moreFish Ecology, Fish and Marine Ecology, Historical Ecology, Northwest Coast, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Ancient Fishing, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Herring, Fish Remains, and Historical Marine Ecology
Research Interests:
The maritime fur trade (1785–1840s) led to the local extinction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in many parts of the northeast Pacific. On the basis of studies of extant sea otter populations, it has been established that they have a... more
The maritime fur trade (1785–1840s) led to the local extinction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in many parts of the northeast Pacific. On the basis of studies of extant sea otter populations, it has been established that they have a disproportionate effect on nearshore ecosystems by limiting sea urchin abundance and facilitating the establishment of nearshore kelp forests; in the absence of sea otters, a local reduction in kelp-derived carbon is therefore expected. We measured the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of rockfish (Sebastes spp.) bone collagen from late Holocene archaeological sites in southern Haida Gwaii, BC, Canada, using δ13C as a proxy for kelp-derived carbon in the diet and δ15N as a proxy for trophic position. We observed significant spatial variability in rockfish kelp-derived carbon (δ13C), but not trophic level (δ15N). Kelp-derived carbon varied largely as a function of site characteristics (wave exposure), suggesting that local oceanographic conditions are important factors with respect to consumer tissue isotopic compositions. Kelp-derived carbon decreased in post-European contact rockfish relative to pre-European contact rockfish, likely as a result of the reduction of kelp forests associated with the local extirpation of sea otters. Although we detected a reduction in kelp-derived carbon in rockfish diets, we found no shift in trophic level at sites occupied following the maritime fur trade. This implies a shift in local ecosystems, and particularly in carbon sources, following the maritime fur trade, likely due to a trophic cascade resulting from the local extirpation of sea otters. Stability in rockfish trophic levels, however, implies that rockfish continued to feed at similar trophic levels, consuming prey with similar nitrogen isotopic compositions.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, and 42 moreZooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Stable Isotope Analysis, Environmental Archaeology, Conservation Biology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Maritime History, Marine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Conservation Ecology, Stable Isotopes, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Fish and Marine Ecology, Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, First Nations of Canada, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Rockfish, European Contact Americas, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Fish Bones, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Archaeology of fishing, Archaeology of Colonialism, Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems, and Sea Otter Adaptations
The maritime fur trade (1785–1840s) led to the local extinction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in many parts of the northeast Pacific. On the basis of studies of extant sea otter populations, it has been established that they have a... more
The maritime fur trade (1785–1840s) led to the local extinction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in many parts of the northeast Pacific. On the basis of studies of extant sea otter populations, it has been established that they have a disproportionate effect on nearshore ecosystems by limiting sea urchin abundance and facilitating the establishment of nearshore kelp forests; in the absence of sea otters, a local reduction in kelp-derived carbon is therefore expected. We measured the isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) of rock- fish (Sebastes spp.) bone collagen from late Holocene ar- chaeological sites in southern Haida Gwaii, BC, Canada, using δ13C as a proxy for kelp-derived carbon in the diet and δ15N as a proxy for trophic position. We observed signifi- cant spatial variability in rockfish kelp-derived carbon (δ13C), but not trophic level (δ15N). Kelp-derived carbon varied largely as a function of site characteristics (wave exposure), suggesting that local oceanographic conditions are important factors with respect to consumer tissue isoto- pic compositions. Kelp-derived carbon decreased in post- European contact rockfish relative to pre-European contact rockfish, likely as a result of the reduction of kelp forests associated with the local extirpation of sea otters. Although we detected a reduction in kelp-derived carbon in rockfish diets, we found no shift in trophic level at sites occupied following the maritime fur trade. This implies a shift in local ecosystems, and particularly in carbon sources, following the maritime fur trade, likely due to a trophic cascade resulting from the local extirpation of sea otters. Stability in rockfish trophic levels, however, implies that rockfish continued to feed at similar trophic levels, consuming prey with similar nitrogen isotopic compositions.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 26 moreEnvironmental Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Fur Trade Studies, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, Animal Remains, European Contact Americas, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Archaeology of Colonialism, Otters, Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems, and Sea Otter Adaptations
We examined the isotopic composition of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) bone collagen from ten late Holocene (ca. 5200 years BP – AD 1900) archaeological sites in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. Because sea otters are now extinct from... more
We examined the isotopic composition of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) bone collagen from ten late Holocene (ca. 5200 years BP – AD 1900) archaeological sites in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. Because sea otters are now extinct from much of this region and have not fully re-colonized their former range (e.g. Haida Gwaii and most of northern BC) these data represent an important first step towards better understanding sea otter foraging ecology in BC. The isotopic data suggest a diet composed primarily of benthic invertebrates, with a very low reliance on epibenthic fish. There is very low isotopic and thus inter-individual dietary variability in Holocene BC sea otters during the late Holocene. Furthermore, zooarchaeological abundance data suggest that otters represented a widespread and significant focus of aboriginal hunting practices on the northern BC coast during the mid-to late-Holocene. The consistent reliance on a small number of low trophic level prey and limited dietary variability in Holocene BC sea otters, may reflect top-down impacts on otter populations by aboriginal peoples. As part of our assessment of sea otter diet, we review trophic discrimination factors (Δ13C and Δ15N) for bone collagen from published literature and find marked variability, with mean values of 20 +3.7±1.6 for Δ13C (n=21) and +3.6±1.3 for Δ15N (n=15).
Keywords:
Sea Otter; British Columbia; Stable Isotopes; Quantifying Isotopic Variability; Zooarchaeology; Historical Ecology; Ecology of Fear
Keywords:
Sea Otter; British Columbia; Stable Isotopes; Quantifying Isotopic Variability; Zooarchaeology; Historical Ecology; Ecology of Fear
Research Interests: Ethnohistory, Marine Biology, Archaeology, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Stable isotope ecology, and 13 moreZooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Environmental History, Marine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, Behavioral Ecology, Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Fur Trade Studies, Northwest Coast Archaeology, and Sea Otters
We examined the isotopic composition (d13C and d15N) of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) bone collagen from ten late Holocene (ca. 5200 years BP - AD 1900) archaeological sites in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. Because sea otters are... more
We examined the isotopic composition (d13C and d15N) of sea otter (Enhydra lutris) bone collagen from ten late Holocene (ca. 5200 years BP - AD 1900) archaeological sites in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada. Because sea otters are now extinct from much of this region and have not fully recolonized their former range (e.g. Haida Gwaii and most of northern BC) these data represent an important first step towards better understanding sea otter foraging ecology in BC. The isotopic data suggest a diet composed primarily of benthic invertebrates, with a very low reliance on epibenthic fish. There is very low isotopic and thus inter-individual dietary variability in Holocene BC sea otters during the late Holocene. Furthermore, zooarchaeological abundance data suggest that otters represented a widespread and significant focus of aboriginal hunting practices on the northern BC coast during the mid- to late-Holocene. The consistent reliance on a small number of low-trophic level prey and limited dietary variability in Holocene BC sea otters may reflect top-down impacts on otter populations by aboriginal peoples. As part of our assessment of sea otter diet, we review trophic discrimination factors (D13C and D15N) for bone collagen from published literature and find marked variability, with mean values of +3.7 +/- 1.6 for D13C (n = 21) and +3.6 +/- 1.3 for D15N (n = 15).
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 31 moreStable Isotope Analysis, Environmental Archaeology, Marine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Marine mammals (Marine Conservation), Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Animal Remains, Marine mammals and ecology, Nitrogen Isotope Collagen, Carbon Isotope Collagen, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Archaeology of Colonialism, Otters, Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems, and Sea Otter Adaptations
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 29 moreEnvironmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Fishing, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Rockfish, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Haida Gwaii, Archaeology of fishing, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 25 moreArchaeozoology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Salmonids, Faunal Analysis, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Digital Radiography, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Osteometry, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Radiography, and Archaeology of fishing
Cannon and Yang (2006) argue that a sedentary winter village based on stored pink and chum salmon began at Namu approximately 7000 B.P. In contrast, we argue that (a) available data support neither a sedentary winter village by that date... more
Cannon and Yang (2006) argue that a sedentary winter village based on stored pink and chum salmon began at Namu approximately 7000 B.P. In contrast, we argue that (a) available data support neither a sedentary winter village by that date nor a subsistence focus on stored pink and chum salmon; (b) the timing and ubiquity of salmon exploitation and storage was not as the authors assert; instead, stable, long-term adaptations focused on taxa other than salmon are found elsewhere on the Northwest Coast; and (c) seasonality estimation based on growth increments is a valid methodology.
Research Interests: Environmental Archaeology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Northwest Coast, and 14 moreHunter-Gatherer Archaeology, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Herring, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, and Archaeology of fishing
Research Interests: Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, North American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Northwest Coast, and 15 moreNorth Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, American antiquity, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Herring, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Archaeology of fishing, and Hunter Gatherer Archaeology
Simple linear regression for estimating fish length has been applied to remains of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) from two sites on Shemya Island (ATU-003 and ATU-061). Al-though five major methods have been used for the estimation of... more
Simple linear regression for estimating fish length has been applied to remains of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) from two sites on Shemya Island (ATU-003 and ATU-061). Al-though five major methods have been used for the estimation of fish size from archaeological remains, Casteel (1976:122) suggests that the best method involves simple linear regression. Because skeletal size and fish length are highly correlated and form a linear relationship, the simple linear regression approach involves the creation of regression formulae that compare the length of a fish to specific measurements of skeletal elements. The derived formulae can then be used to estimate the size of fish from measurements of archaeological remains. Estimating the sizes of fish prehistorically harvested allows more detailed conclusions to be drawn regarding ancient fishing practices. In addition, possible impacts of identified harvesting methods on past fish populations can also be assessed, as illustrated by the Pacific cod example presented here.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 27 moreMarine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Historical Ecology, Human impacts on ancient environments, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Allometry, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Regression, Regression Analysis, Aleutian islands, Fish Bones, Prehistoric fisheries, Osteometry, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Fishing Gear Selectivity, Archaeology of fishing, Pacific Cod, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
This study presents isotopic data (δ13C and δ15N from bone collagen) for 104 samples representing 29 vertebrate taxa from late pre-contact through to contact era (ca. 2000 - 100 BP) Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) from a wide... more
This study presents isotopic data (δ13C and δ15N from bone collagen) for 104 samples representing 29 vertebrate taxa from late pre-contact through to contact era (ca. 2000 - 100 BP) Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) from a wide variety of mostly marine organisms. The results demonstrate the considerable isotopic variability that characterizes potential prey items in coastal contexts and underscores the need for baseline faunal data to interpret human subsistence practices. Based on these data, a detailed marine food web was constructed, which provides insight into local ecological conditions. We present a simple method for quantifying the trophic level of ancient fauna using δ15N of bone collagen. Finally, we discuss the implications of this study for the reconstruction of human diet.
Research Interests:
This study presents isotopic data (d13C and d15N from bone collagen) for 104 samples representing 29 vertebrate taxa from late pre-contact through to contact era (ca. 2000 – 100 BP) Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) from a wide... more
This study presents isotopic data (d13C and d15N from bone collagen) for 104 samples representing 29 vertebrate taxa from late pre-contact through to contact era (ca. 2000 – 100 BP) Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada) from a wide variety of mostly marine organisms. The results demonstrate the considerable isotopic variability that characterizes potential prey items in coastal contexts and underscores the need for baseline faunal data to interpret human subsistence practices. Based on these data, a detailed marine food web was constructed, which provides insight into local ecological conditions. We present a simple method for quantifying the trophic level of ancient fauna using d15N of bone collagen. Finally, we discuss the implications of this study for the reconstruction of human diet.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Stable isotope ecology, Zooarchaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, and 40 moreEnvironmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Marine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Stable Isotopes, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Isotope Ecology, Bird remains (Zooarchaeology), Fish and Marine Ecology, Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Food webs, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Rockfish, Nitrogen Isotope Collagen, Carbon Isotope Collagen, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Herring, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Coastal Archaeology, Marine Food Webs, Archaeology of fishing, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Eighteenth century European contact in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia), and elsewhere on the Northwest Coast, sparked the lucrative maritime fur trade, and led to a shift in Haida economic focus. The subsequent... more
Eighteenth century European contact in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia), and elsewhere on the Northwest Coast, sparked the lucrative maritime fur trade, and led to a shift in Haida economic focus. The subsequent extirpation of sea otters from much of the coast soon after the initiation of the trade had cascading effects on ecologically related species, and resulted in further changes in Haida subsistence adaptations. This paper examines the results of ongoing archaeological research in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (Southern Queen Charlotte Islands) in order to increase our understanding of changing Haida adaptation during this dynamic period.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, and 28 moreEnvironmental Archaeology, Marine Ecology, Archaeozoology, Archaeology of Colonialisms, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, First Nations History, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Coastal Archaeology, Marine invertebrates, Archaeology of fishing, Archaeology of Colonialism, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Paleoethnobotany in the Northwest Coast is in the process of developing methodological conventions and establishing the range and sophistication of questions that can be asked of its data. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of... more
Paleoethnobotany in the Northwest Coast is in the process of developing methodological conventions and establishing the range and sophistication of questions that can be asked of its data. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of archaeobotanical remains from three Haida village middens, focusing in particular on the taphonomic concerns that face palaeoethnobotanists during analysis and interpretation. We explore the process of sourcing the various types of remains encountered in midden contexts in an attempt to distinguish those that are culturally vs. naturally deposited. Determining the origins of different constituents of archaeobotanical assemblages is the first step towards interpretation and the ability to address questions of broader social and economic import.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeobotany, Environmental Archaeology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, and 19 morePaleoethnobotany, North American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Taphonomy, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, North Pacific archaeology, Archeobotany, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Archaeology of shell middens, northwest coast Indians diet, northwest coast Indians berries, northwest coast Native plants, Northwest Coast Subsistence, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Coastal Archaeology, Haida, Haida Gwaii, and Pacific Northwest Coast
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Archaeozoology, and 20 moreHunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, First Nations History, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Animal Remains, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Archaeology of fishing, Archaeology of Colonialism, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Analyses of archaeological faunal assemblages often require the use of varied quantitative techniques for reconstructing aspects of the harvested populations. This is particularly important with the increasing use of zooarchaeological... more
Analyses of archaeological faunal assemblages often require the use of varied quantitative techniques for reconstructing aspects of the harvested populations. This is particularly important with the increasing use of zooarchaeological data outside of the realm of traditional archaeological inquiry. Detailed size estimations of archaeological faunal specimens can be used to distinguish between the remains of individual animals, aiding in the reconstruction of minimum number calculations. Statistical regression provides a particularly useful technique for generating size estimations which may then be used to calculate such modified MNI values. This paper outlines a methodology for utilising regression estimated sizes in MNI calculations, and tests the methodology in the context of a case study involving fish remains from Aleutian Islands archaeological sites. The use of this methodology to generate modified MNI values results in consistent increases over values calculated using traditional MNI approaches. Such an approach, while more costly in terms of required effort, is felt to be preferable to traditional approaches in contexts where detailed size estimations are usefully calculated to answer other research questions.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, and 14 moreArchaeological Method & Theory, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Allometry, Animal Remains, Ichthyoarchaeology, Regression, Fish Bones, Osteometry, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, and Archaeology of fishing
Multidimensional scaling (MDS) has been previously applied successfully to the analysis of artifact assemblages from archaeological contexts. Despite the suitability of archaeological faunal data to such analysis, MDS has not been applied... more
Multidimensional scaling (MDS) has been previously applied successfully to the analysis of artifact assemblages from archaeological contexts. Despite the suitability of archaeological faunal data to such analysis, MDS has not been applied to faunal data. In this study, MDS analysis was applied to 21 faunal assemblages from 14 Graham Tradition sites in the Kunghit region of southern Haida Gwaii. A separation of salmon-dominated and rockfish-dominated assemblages provided the strongest result of this analysis, strengthening previous interpretations made for these data. Additionally, MDS analysis revealed functional and regional variability that had not been previously identified. Functionality was reflected in the separation of differing site types, while regional distribution of resources was also highlighted by the analysis. These results contribute to an understanding of Kunghit Haida subsistence and settlement while demonstrating the utility of MDS for faunal analysis.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Multivariate Statistics, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, and 24 moreFish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Multidimensional Scaling, Archaeozoology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Rockfish, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Pacific Salmon, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Coastal Archaeology, and Archaeology of fishing
Archaeological data are most commonly applied towards understanding past human activities. However, these data can include environmental information such as animal and plant remains which offer insight into past environmental history.... more
Archaeological data are most commonly applied towards understanding past human activities. However, these data can include environmental information such as animal and plant remains which offer insight into past environmental history. This paper outlines general introductory principles of environmental applications in archaeology, including the character of archaeological data, the preservation of environmental remains, and problems of interpretation arising from the “cultural filter” through which these remains necessarily have passed. We conclude by noting problems and prospects in environmental archaeology, leading to two case studies which demonstrate the value and potential of archaeological analyses to the reconstruction of past ecosystems. The first case study explores the period of European contact in Gwaii Haanas (Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia), a time characterized by rapid and substantial environmental changes. In particular, archaeological evidence is described that relates to the extirpation of the sea otter during the maritime fur trade and the resulting impact on ecologically related species such as abalone, sea urchin, and kelp dependent fish. The second case study examines prehistoric fish use in the Aleutian Islands. Specifically, size reconstruction of Pacific cod specimens recovered from Aleut archaeological sites shows the harvesting of fish that exceed the size of those commonly encountered by modern commercial fisheries. Together, these case studies demonstrate that archaeological analysis can provide a picture of the past environment that is not readily available through other sources of data.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Environmental Archaeology, and 29 moreFish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Applied Archaeology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Paleoenvironment (Archaeology), Historical Ecology, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Aleutian islands, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Fish Bones, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Aleut History, Fishing Gear Selectivity, Archaeology of fishing, Pacific Cod, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
Prey-size selectivity by Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) is relevant for understanding the foraging behavior of this declining predator, but studies have been problematic because of the absence and erosion of otoliths usually used... more
Prey-size selectivity by Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) is relevant for understanding the foraging behavior of this declining predator, but studies have been problematic because of the absence and erosion of otoliths usually used to estimate fish length. Therefore, we developed regression formulae to estimate fish length from seven diagnostic cranial structures of walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius). For both species, all structure measurements were related with fork length of prey (r2 range: 0.78−0.99). Fork length (FL) of walleye pollock and Atka mackerel consumed by Steller sea lions was estimated by applying these regression models to cranial structures recovered from scats (feces) collected between 1998 and 2000 across the range of the Alaskan western stock of Steller sea lions. Experimentally derived digestion correction factors were applied to take into account loss of size due to digestion. Fork lengths of walleye pollock consumed by Steller sea lions ranged from 3.7 to 70.8 cm (mean=39.3 cm, SD=14.3 cm, n=666) and Atka mackerel ranged from 15.3 to 49.6 cm (mean=32.3 cm, SD=5.9 cm, n=1685). Although sample sizes were limited, a greater proportion of juvenile (≤20 cm) walleye pollock were found in samples collected during the summer (June−September) on haul-out sites (64% juveniles, n=11 scats) than on summer rookeries (9% juveniles, n=132 scats) or winter (February−March) haul-out sites (3% juveniles, n=69 scats). Annual changes in the size of Atka mackerel consumed by Steller sea lions corresponded to changes in the length distribution of Atka mackerel resulting from exceptionally strong year classes. Considerable overlap (>51%) in the size of walleye pollock and Atka mackerel taken by Steller sea lions and the sizes of these species caught by the commercial trawl fishery were demonstrated.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Environmental Archaeology, and 25 moreFish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Paleodiet, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Marine Mammals, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Applied Zooarchaeology in Conservation, Human impacts on ancient environments, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Animal Remains, Ichthyoarchaeology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Sea Otters, Fish Bones, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Haida Gwaii, Archaeology of fishing, and Human impacts on Marine Ecosystems
The analysis of kinship relations and kinship terminology, has long been a central focus of anthropological inquiry. Additionally, linguistic relationships and changes in languages have often been argued to reflect prehistoric intergroup... more
The analysis of kinship relations and kinship terminology, has long been a central focus of anthropological inquiry. Additionally, linguistic relationships and changes in languages have often been argued to reflect prehistoric intergroup relationships and groups movements. This paper seeks to provide a basic analysis of selected kin terms for five Northwest Coast languages, namely Spokane, Shuswap, Saanich, Ahousaht, and Ditidaht. In addition, the role that such linguistic data can play in addressing the larger questions of the region's prehistory will be addressed. Specifically, the linguistic data presented will be analyzed from the perspective of Elmendorf's (1961) hypothesis regarding the prehistoric relationships between Interior and Coastal SaIish Ianguages.
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The analysis of faunal remains from archaeological sites can make significant contributions both to the interpretation and understanding of prehistoric subsistence and to the re-creation of palaeoecological and palaeobiological... more
The analysis of faunal remains from archaeological sites can make significant contributions both to the interpretation and understanding of prehistoric subsistence and to the re-creation of palaeoecological and palaeobiological conditions. A number of methods have been employed in the quantification of zooarchaeological data, including calculation of the Number of Identified Specimens Present (NISP), the Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI), and the meat weight represented by an assemblage of skeletal remains. The use of statistical regression for the estimation of the live size of fish from skeletal remains provides more precise data, which are particularly useful for interpreting skeletal assemblages from both archaeological and biological perspectives.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 14 moreArchaeozoology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Osteoarchaeology, Faunal Analysis, Allometry, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Ancient Fishing, Ichthyoarchaeology, Regression Analysis, NISP, Fish Bones, Osteometry, and Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology
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This poster presents the results of the systematic mapping and surface collection of a bone scatter located in a forested area of the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. Preliminary observations suggest that this bone scatter is the... more
This poster presents the results of the systematic mapping and surface collection of a bone scatter located in a forested area of the University of Toronto Mississauga campus. Preliminary observations suggest that this bone scatter is the result coyote activity, and that these animals have been scavenging from nearby neighborhoods and transporting faunal specimens to this scatter location. The bone scatter contains a combination of modern, butchered, domestic animal specimens and the bones of smaller, wild species common in the local environment. These remains provide a direct record of the range of bones that can be accumulated through coyote behaviour, and illustrate some of the taphonomic impacts that result. In addition, the proximity of this scatter location to several known late 19th and early 20th century residential sites that have produced similar domestic animal remains raises the possibility of such scavenger activity impacting archaeological deposits. We outline several of the potential implications of such scavenger activity for the formation and interpretation of archaeological faunal assemblages.
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Economic trends and resource use patterns have long been placed at the root of major social and cultural developments among global societies. Among First Nations societies along the Northwest Coast (NWC) of North America, for example,... more
Economic trends and resource use patterns have long been placed at the root of major social and cultural developments among global societies. Among First Nations societies along the Northwest Coast (NWC) of North America, for example, intensive use of seasonally abundant, storable resources, such as salmon, herring and various shellfish, has been argued to form the basis for the rise of more complex, sedentary societies. Traditional zooarchaeological analyses reveal coarse aspects of faunal use trends across space and time, and as such studies have accumulated on the NWC increasing regional variability has become evident. Identifying the degree of local variability, however, is complicated by the limits of traditional zooarchaeological analysis. On the NWC, key resources, such as salmon and rockfish, can only be morphologically identified to broad, generic taxonomic levels. We have employed the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to gain a more high-resolution understanding of variable use of these and other resources, successfully identifying the use of locally variable sub-populations of diverse taxa. The integration of traditional zooarchaeological and isotopic data can provide a much more nuanced understanding of regional and temporal trends in human economic behavior. This is exemplified in our ongoing research in southern Haida Gwaii, which points to a distinct pattern of local and temporal variability in the use of a wide range of faunal taxa.
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Research in recent decades has highlighted a complex, locally variable sea-level history across the Northwest Coast of North America. This resulted in a dynamic coastal landscape throughout the Holocene, and yields poor archaeological... more
Research in recent decades has highlighted a complex, locally variable sea-level history across the Northwest Coast of North America. This resulted in a dynamic coastal landscape throughout the Holocene, and yields poor archaeological visibility for many periods. Early- through mid-Holocene cultural deposits are often either stranded on raised landforms some distance from current shorelines or submerged beneath contemporary sea levels. Based on a detailed reconstruction of the local sea-level history, recent research in southern Haida Gwaii has targeted such mid-Holocene deposits. In particular research at site 924T in eastern Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is revealing a persistent use of this location over at least 5000 years. A series of occupations on sequentially higher paleo-beach terraces associated with a long-term decline in sea levels in the region speak both to the importance of this location from at least the mid-Holocene to the European contact period, and also document dramatic changes in subsistence and material culture through a period that is otherwise unknown in the region. These point to a close relationship between site locations and sea level histories, and reveal long-term continuity in the use of local areas in the face of this dynamic environment.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 20 moreHunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Prehistoric Settlement, Sea Level, Prehistoric Technology, Holocene sea level change, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Salmonids, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Ancient Fishing, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Pacific Salmon, Herring, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, Coastal Archaeology, and Ichtyoarchaeology
Research Interests: Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Environmental Archaeology, and 18 moreHunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Archaeology of Hunting, Fishing Gears, Holocene sea level change, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Intertidal archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Ancient Fishing, Intertidal zone archaeology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Intensification (Archaeology), Archaeology of fishing, and Fish Weirs
Recent research in southern Haida Gwaii examining the late pre-contact through maritime fur trade periods indicates that the maritime fur trade increased the Haida focus on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and... more
Recent research in southern Haida Gwaii examining the late pre-contact through maritime fur trade periods indicates that the maritime fur trade increased the Haida focus on the hunting of sea otters, altered the Haida seasonal round, and introduced new items of material culture. Surprisingly, this period had relatively little impact on the Haida subsistence economy. Pre-contact Haida subsistence patterns persisted, while most introduced material culture was non-utilitarian or was incorporated into existing cultural practices. In contrast, European traders were forced to adopt a degree of Haida trade practices, and in many cases were dependent on the Haida to meet their own subsistence needs.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, and 15 moreNorth American archaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Northwest Coast, First Nations History, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Social Complexity, Salmonids, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Animal Remains, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Northwest Coast Archaeology, Pacific Salmon, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, and Archaeology of fishing
Research Interests: Ethnohistory, Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Human-Animal Relations, Environmental Archaeology, and 25 moreFish Remains (Zooarchaeology), Archaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Taphonomy, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), First Nations of Canada, Northwest Coast, Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, North Pacific archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, Animal Remains, Vertebrate taphonomy, Ancient Fishing, Northwest Coast Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Taphonomy, Faunal Analysis, Zooarchaeology, Haida, Haida Gwaii, Halibut, and Archaeology of fishing
Research Interests: Zooarchaeology, Archaeozoology, Paleodiet, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, and 6 moreOsteoarchaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Northwest Coast Archaeology, and Paleodietary Reconstruction
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 14 moreArchaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Social Complexity, Salmonids, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Animal Remains, Pacific Salmon, Complex Hunter-Gatherers, and Archaeology of fishing
Research Interests: Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Zooarchaeology, Fish Remains (Zooarchaeology), and 10 moreArchaeozoology, Hunters, Fishers and Gatherers' Archaeology, North American archaeology, Osteoarchaeology, Coastal and Island Archaeology, Subsistance Strategies (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Pacific Northwest Coast archaeology, Fishing in antiquity, and Ancient Fishing
Draft best practices document for zooarchaeology in Ontario
Research Interests:
Abstract Book, 19th Fish Remains Working Group Meeting, Alghero-Stintino