Themodus operandiof walrus exploitation during the Palaeoeskimo period at the Tayara site, Arctic Canada

Monchot, Hervé; Houmard, Claire; Dionne, Marie-Michelle; Desrosiers, Pierre; Gendron, Daniel

doi:10.5252/az2013n1a1

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Significant amounts of walrus bones were found at the Avayalik site in northern Labrador where walruses may have been hunted in winter, presumably at the floe edge (Cox and Spiess 1980). Early to middle Dorset sites with significant amounts of walrus remains include locations on the coasts of northern Foxe Basin, Ungava Bay, Southampton Island, Hudson Strait and northern Labrador (Taylor 1968, Cox and Spiess 1980, Murray 1996, Monchot et al 2013. Walruses likely represented a significant source of food and oil and provided material for tools, artwork and religious items (Maxwell 1985, Monchot et al 2013.…”

Section: Walrus Of the North Atlanticmentioning

confidence: 99%

A catch history for Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Stewart

Higdon²,

Reeves

et al. 2014

NAMMCOSP

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Knowledge of changes in abundance of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in Canada is important for assessing their current population status. This catch history collates available data and assesses their value for modelling historical populations to inform population recovery and management. Pre-historical (archaeological), historical (e.g., Hudson Bay Company journals) and modern catch records are reviewed over time by data source (whaler, land-based commercial, subsistence etc.) and biological population or management stock.Direct counts of walruses landed as well as estimates based on hunt products (e.g., hides, ivory) or descriptors (e.g., Peterhead boatloads) support a minimum landed catch of over 41,300 walruses in the eastern Canadian Arctic between 1820 and 2010. Little is known of Inuit catches prior to 1928, despite the importance of walruses to many Inuit groups for subsistence. Commercial hunting from the late 1500s to late 1700s extirpated the Atlantic walrus from Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces, but there was no commercial hunt for the species in the Canadian Arctic until ca. 1885. As the availability of bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) declined, whalers increasingly turned to hunting other species, including walruses. Modest numbers (max. 278/yr) were taken from the High Arctic population in the mid-1880s and large catches (up to 1400/yr) were often taken from the Central Arctic population from 1899 -1911, while the Foxe Basin stock (Central Arctic population) and Low Arctic population were largely ignored by commercial hunters. Land-based traders (ca. 1895-1928) continued the commercial hunt until regulatory changes in 1928 reserved walruses for Inuit use. Since 1950, reported walrus catches have been declining despite a steady increase in the Inuit population. Effort data are needed to assess whether lower catches stem from declining hunter effort or decreased walrus abundance. The recent take of walruses by sport hunting has been small (n=141, 1995-2010), sporadic and local.These landed catch estimates indicate the minimum numbers of walruses removed but do not account for under-reporting or lost animals that were killed but were not secured. Unreported and lost animals may represent a significant fraction of the total removals and must be considered in any modelling exercise. The sources, quality and completeness of the catch data vary widely over time and space and between the different hunt types. This variability confounds interpretation and contributes to the uncertainty that needs to be incorporated into any modelling. The data on Inuit subsistence catches before ca. 1928 are particularly fragmentary and uncertain.

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Section: Walrus Of the North Atlanticmentioning

confidence: 99%

A catch history for Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Stewart

Higdon²,

Reeves

et al. 2014

NAMMCOSP

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“…Instead, we assessed the degree of fusion of the mandibular symphysis, as skeletal development can provide coarse estimates of age and maturity ( Reitz and Wing 2008 ). Age-specific data for the development of the walrus skeleton are not available in the literature ( Monchot et al 2013 ); therefore, we used data on the timing of skeletal development in phocid seals ( Storå 2000 ). The degree of fusion of each individual was recorded along with the measurements of the mandibles.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining sex of adult Pacific walruses from mandible measurements

Taylor

Clark

Misarti

et al. 2020

Journal of Mammalogy

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Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) play a vital role in Arctic marine ecosystems and the subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Native communities. Museum collections contain numerous archaeological and historic walrus specimens that have proven useful in a variety of studies; however, for many cases, the sex of these specimens is unknown. Sexes of adult (> 5 years determined by tooth aging) Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) have been accurately determined in previous studies using mandible measurements. We tested the validity of this approach for Pacific walruses, and used full fusion of the mandibular symphysis to define adults. Using high precision digital calipers (± 0.01 mm), four measurements were taken either on the left or right side of 91 walrus mandibles: 80 modern mandibles (70 known-sex specimens; 10 unknown-sex specimens) and 11 archaeological mandibles of unknown sex. We used linear discriminant function analysis (LDFA) to determine what measurements best distinguished Pacific walrus males from females. Minimum mandible thickness had the most predictive power, whereas mandible length, height, and depth, were less predictive. Posterior probabilities indicated that LDFA classified the known-sex Pacific walruses with 100% accuracy, and unknown sex with ≥ 90% probability. The ability to define the sex of unknown individuals accurately could greatly increase the sample size of future projects dealing with skeletal remains, and will improve future research efforts.

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“…Only two mandibles could be measured from the Nuulliit qassi midden both likely deriving from females. While limited, the biological remains suggest that all age groups and both sexes were hunted by prehistoric people (see also Monchot et al 2013 ). This hunting pattern differs from the present-day situation.…”

Section: The Importance Of Walrus In Prehistorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Already in the pre-Inuit Dorset and Late Dorset cultures walrus tusk and bones formed an important resource for tool making often outnumbering other sources (e.g. Darwent and LeMoine 1998 ; Monchot et al 2013 ). These finds attest to the significance of the walrus across cultures as a source of food for humans and dogs alike, of fuel, and of materials for the production of tools and hunting weapons.…”

Section: The Importance Of Walrus In Prehistorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Walrus history around the North Water: Human–animal relations in a long-term perspective

Gotfredsen

Appelt

Hastrup

2018

Ambio

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This article highlights the relationship between walruses and humans in and around the North Water polynya in a long-term perspective. The present study draws on a combination of biological, archaeological, archaeo-zoological, historical, and ethnographic sources covering the period from the 8th century ad to the late 20th century. The study demonstrates that the walrus was an important resource of meat, blubber, and other products throughout all the studied periods, if always supplemented by other kinds of game. It is suggested that walrus distribution and behaviour, as well as hunting strategies and technologies historically constituted a powerful component not only in forming human action and social life in the region but also in serving as an imaginative resource. It is further argued that the walrus and the walrus hunt still play a significant role in the present community living on the edge of the North Water, even if the hunt is increasingly circumscribed due to changing ice conditions.

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Themodus operandiof walrus exploitation during the Palaeoeskimo period at the Tayara site, Arctic Canada

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

A catch history for Atlantic walruses (<i>Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus</i>) in the eastern Canadian Arctic

A catch history for Atlantic walruses (<i>Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus</i>) in the eastern Canadian Arctic

Determining sex of adult Pacific walruses from mandible measurements

Walrus history around the North Water: Human–animal relations in a long-term perspective

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