Construction, use, and abandonment of a Thule whale bone house, Somerset Island, Arctic Canada

Abstract

In 1991, the authors excavated a Thule (ca. A.D. 1000-1600) whale bone house on Somerset Island, Arctic Canada. Several characteristics of the house structure and the associated artifact assemblage indicate that this house probably functioned as a karigi, or ceremonial house. It is argued that detailed analyses of house stratigraphy provide useful data for the study of formation processes of the house. Based on our analyses, five stages are recognized: 1) house construction, 2) house use and maintenance, 3) house abandonment, 4) dismantling of superstructure, and 5) post-occupation. It is also argued that such analyses can be extremely beneficial in understanding the nature of associated artifacts. -Authors