Canadian Zooarchaeology Archive

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https://hdl.handle.net/1828/20751

Publication Lifespan: 1992–2011

ISSN: 1923-2527

EISSN: 1923-2535

Focus and Scope

Canadian Zooarchaeology (CZ) was established as a forum for Canadian zooarchaeologists. Recognizing the global reach of its readership, CZ broadened its scope to encompass issues of interest to faunal analysts worldwide. It published peer-reviewed research articles and reports on vertebrate and invertebrate faunal assemblages, along with news, letters, conference reports, and book reviews. Submissions were accepted and published in either English or French.

Copyright Policy

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. After publication, the work is simultaneously licensed under a CC BY Creative Commons International License. For more information see below.

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Subsistence at Si•čə’nəł: The Willows Beach site and the culture history of southeastern Vancouver Island
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2011) Willerton, Ila Moana; Stewart, Kathlyn
Archaeological excavations at the Willows Beach site (DcRt-10) on southeastern Vancouver Island have revealed the presence of two distinct culture types – characteristic artifact assemblages generally associated with particular time periods – during the site’s 2630–270 BP occupation. Following Croes’s theory that culture type change reflects subsistence intensification, Willows Beach faunal assemblages are examined for evidence of change over time. Analysis of faunal remains from dated, stratified units associated with the two culture types suggests that at least some subsistence change occurs commensurate with changes in subsistence artifacts and culture type. Reference is also made to faunal changes at the nearby Esquimalt Lagoon and Maplebank sites. Greater sample sizes are needed to further support this association. Les investigations archaéologiques du site Willows Beach (DcRt-10) dans le sud-est de l’Île Vancouver sont démontré la présence de deux culture types – des associations caractéristiques des objets généralement liés avec des périodes particulières – distinctes dans l’occupation de ce site entre 2,630–270 BP. Aprés la théorie de Croes que les changements des culture types réfléchent l’intensification de la subsistance, des collections fauniques de Willows Beach sont examinées pour vérifier s’il y a des changements temporels. L’analyse des restes fauniques provenant des niveaux des dates connus associés avec les deux culture types indique que la changement des culture types à Willows Beach est la résultat d’un changement de la subsistance. La référence est également faite aux sites Esquimalt Lagoon et Maplebank. Des échantillons plus larges sont nécessaires pour soutenir cette association.
Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, no. 27 (2011)
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2011) Willerton, Ila Moana; Stewart, Kathlyn; Stewart, Frances L.
This issue contains: Subsistence at Si•čə’nəł:The Willows Beach Site and the Culture History of Southeastern Vancouver Island by I. M. Willerton and K. M. Stewart (p. 3-22) A book review of Quantitative Paleozoology (2008) by R. Lee Lyman (p. 23-28).
Review of the book Quantitative Paleozoology, by R. Lee Lyman
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2011) Stewart, Frances L.
The Dienje Kenyon Fellowship
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2008) Burke, Ariane
A preliminary study of methods for identifying archaeological sea urchin remains in the Pacific Northwest
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2008) Campbell, Bruce
The remains of sea urchins are common at archaeological sites in the Pacific Northwest, providing valuable data for marine biologists and for archaeologists interested in the use of marine resources by early inhabitants of this region. However, archaeological urchin remains are typically fragmentary, limiting the applicability of traditional identification techniques. Methods have been developed recently to identify northeast Atlantic urchin remains to genus, to quantify the numbers harvested, to examine the manner in which they were prepared and to reconstruct their population structure. These methods are tested on three species of Pacific Northwest Strongylocentrotus urchins (the sole shallow-water echinoid genus) and are shown to be useful for species discrimination. Features on auricles and jaw elements, as well as the geometry of the jaws, may be characteristic of a particular species. In addition to permitting the identification of archaeological urchin remains, these distinguishing features may also shed some light on specialization and adaptation among these sea urchin species. FR: L'oursin est souvent présent dans les sites archéologiques du nord-est pacifique et représente donc une source importante de données sur les resources maritimes et leur utilisation dans le passé. Malheureusement, les restes d'oursin sont typiquemment mal conservés, ce qui restreint l'utilisation de techniques traditionnelles d'identification taxonomique pour cette classe. Des méthodes d'identification taxonomique pour les restes d'oursin ont été développées récemment dans le nord-est atlantique pour le calcul du nombre de restes, l'analyse des techniques de préparation et l'étude des structures de population. Dans cette étude, ces méthodes sont testées sur trois espèces du genre Strongylocentrotus de la côte du nord-est pacifique, démontrant leur utilité. Certains aspects des auricules et des éléments mandibulaires semblent caractériser les espèces et peuvent donc nous informer sur la spécialisation, l'adaptation et la spéciation des oursins.
A revised assessment of late period (AD 1 - European contact) fisheries at Namu, British Columbia
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2008) Cannon, Aubrey; Densmore, Nadia
Analysis of fish remains from the 1970 University of Colorado excavations at Namu, British Columbia, is the basis for a revised assessment of patterns and trends in the site fisheries over the past 2000 years. The results are consistent with overall patterns at the site but show a previously unrecognized trend of early decline and later recovery of the salmon fishery. They also show a period of overall diversification of the fishery when numbers of salmon were at their lowest levels and confirm the use of ratfish as a marginal food resource in times of salmon shortage. FR: L'analyse des restes de poisson provenant de la fouille du site de Namu (Colombie-Britannique) menée en 1970 par l'université du Colorado mène à une révision des modèles d'exploitation de l'industrie de la pêche au cours des derniers 2000 ans. Les résultats de l'analyse de ce site sont consistants avec les modèles généraux mais démontrent aussi une tendance, jusqu'alors insoupçonnée, de déclin et puis de renouveau des pêcheries de saumon. Ils démontrent aussi une période de diversification générale des pêcheries quand la population de saumon est en baise, et confirment l'utilisation de la chimère d’Amérique comme ressource comestible bien que marginale en temps de pénurie.
Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, no. 25 (2008)
(UVic Libraries, 2008) Cannon, Aubrey; Densmore, Nadia; Campbell, Greg; Stewart, Kathlyn; Lam, Yin; Wigen, Rebecca; Willerton, Ila; Burke, Ariane
This issue contains: A Revised Assessment of Late Period (AD 1 - European Contact) Fisheries at Namu, British Columbia by A. Cannon and N. Densmore (p. 3-13) A Preliminary Study of Methods for Identifying Archaeological Sea Urchin Remains in the Pacific Northwest by G. Campbell (p. 15-35) Information on The Dienje Kenyon Fellowship (p. 36)
Artiodactyl skeletal part representation at middle period and Early Plateau Pithouse tradition sites on the Interior Plateau, British Columbia: a view from EdRh-31
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2009) Badenhorst, Shaw
The earliest occupation of the site of EdRh-31 on the Interior Plateau of British Columbia dates to the Lochnore Phase of the early Plateau Pithouse Tradition. The faunal remains indicate that the people who occupied the site hunted artiodactyls, hunted or snared small animals such as hares, collected freshwater mussels and occasionally fished. Previous research on three sites roughly contemporaneous with EdRh-31 found that artiodactyl metapodials dominate the associated faunal assemblages, leading to the interpretation of these sites to be animal butchering camps. Analysis of the heavily fragmented EdRh-31 bone assemblage, however, suggests that the dominance of artiodactyl metapodials is not necessarily the result of cultural activity but may also reflect a suite of taphonomic processes. While not discounting the possibility that some of these sites functioned as butchering camps, this article draws attention to possible ambiguities in the interpretations of faunal assemblages. French version: L’occupation la plus ancienne du site EdRh-31, situé sur le plateau intérieur de la Colombie-Britannique, remonte à la phase Lochnore de la tradition Plateau Pithouse. Les restes fauniques indiquent que les occupants chassaient les artiodactyles, chassaient ou colletaient le petit gibier dont le lièvre, ramassaient des moules d’eau douce et pêchaient à l’occasion. Les recherches antérieures sur trois sites d’ancienneté similaire au EdRh-31 montrent que les métapodes d’artiodactyles dominent les collections fauniques, menant à l’interprétation de ces sites comme des camps de boucherie. Toutefois, l’analyse des ossements très fragmentés du site EdRh-31 ne conduit pas nécessairement à une explication culturelle pour la dominance des métapodes, qui peut aussi résulter de processus taphonomiques. Sans exclure la possibilité que certains de ces sites aient accueilli des activités de boucherie, cet article attire l’attention au potentiel d’ambiguïtés qui guette l’interprétation des collections fauniques.
Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, no. 26 (2009)
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2009) Loewen, Brad; Badenhorst, Shaw
This issue contains: Historical Data on the Impact of 16th-Century Basque Whaling on Right and Bowhead Whales in the Western North Atlantic by Brad Loewen (p. 3-24) Artiodactyl Skeletal Part Representation at Middle Period and Early Plateau Pithouse Tradition Sites on the Interior Plateau, British Columbia: a View from EdRh-31 by Shaw Badenhorst (p. 25-41)
Nouvelles de la zooarchéologie québécoise
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2007) Courtemanche, Michelle; Saint-Germain, Claire
In 2005, the Heritage division of the Ministry of Culture and Communications of Québec charged the Ostéothèque with conducting a review of the state of zooarchaeological research in the province. The results of the survey were presented in a report entitled Étude réalisée dans le cadre du projet du Répertoire canadien des lieux patrimoniaux (RCLP). The survey assesses the impact of archaeozoological research and classifies 291 archaeological sites in terms of the research and educational potential of their faunal assemblages. Of 291 sites examined, 41 were deemed of interest. This result is partly explicable due to the fact that most archaeozoological research in Québec is contractual in nature and research agendas are set by the outside agencies.
Historical data on the impact of 16th-century Basque whaling on right and bowhead whales in the western North Atlantic
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2009) Loewen, Brad
The Basques pioneered whaling in Newfoundland waters around 1530 and remained the only group to exploit western Atlantic whale populations until 1600, hunting from coastal stations in southern Labrador and eastern Québec. In light of recent research on archaeological whale remains from Red Bay in Labrador, this paper presents historical data relevant to the numbers of whales that were hunted by 16th-century Basques. These data led to an estimate of 13,000 whales killed, a count lower than those provided by other analyses. Whaling peaked in the 1570s, then declined sharply around 1579 to low levels for the remainder of the century. The Basques primarily targeted the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). As whaling intensified in the 1560s, the Basques noticed a second bowhead migration in mid-November and extended their hunting season until freeze-up. During this time, the port of Red Bay increased in importance until about half of all Basque whaling ships were based there in the 1570s. Basque whalers preferred stations in the Strait of Belle Isle for economic and security reasons but also because of the late fall bowhead whale hunt.
Table of contents, editor’s note
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2005) Stewart, Kathlyn
An experimental approach to understanding burnt fish bone assemblages within archaeological hearth contexts
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2005) Steffen, Martina; Mackie, Quentin
The Richardson Island site, an early Holocene site located in Haida Gwaii, has produced an extensive lithic assemblage. The faunal assemblage from this highly stratified, raised beach site is derived from the contents of several hearth features and consists predominately of burnt fish bone. Compared to a roughly contemporaneous faunal assemblage from the nearby site of Kilgii Gwaay, the Richardson Island site has produced a paucity of large individuals for several common fish taxa – in particular, Sebastes sp. This paper describes an experimental approach to understanding the nature of the Richardson Island fish assemblage. Experimental burning of fish bones in a controlled laboratory setting and in simulated hearths was conducted to determine how the size, survivorship, and identifiability of fish elements would be affected by exposure to high temperatures and fire. The controlled burning of rockfish elements resulted in an average reduction in size of nine percent as well as the eventual disintegration of all otoliths. The experimental hearths illustrate the taphonomic complexity involved in the formation of burnt fish bone assemblages and in the quantification and interpretation of fish remains from hearth contexts. FR: Le site de Richardson Island, un site du début de l'Holocene localisé à Haida Gwaii, contient un assemblage lithique de grande taille. La faune de ce site côtier stratifié dérive de nombreux foyers et consiste surtout d'os de poisson brulé. En comparaison avec la faune du site contemporain de Kilgii Gwaay, Richardson Island a produit peu d'individus de grande taille parmis les taxons communs, tel Sebastes sp. Cet article décrit une approche expérimentale qui nous permet de comprendre la nature de l'ichthyofaune de Richardson Island. Une étude expérimentale de combustion d'os de poisson dans le laboratoire et dans des foyers reconstitués nous a permis de déterminer comment le feu et les hautes températures affectent la préservation différentielle de l'os. La combustion controlé d'éléments a donné une réduction moyenne de taille de 9% des os conservés et la désintégration des otolithes. Les foyers expérimentaux illustrent la complexité taphonomique des ichtyofaunes et les subtilités de l'interprétation des os de poisson provenant de foyers.
A bird bone necklace from Amato, Acari Valley, Peru
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2005) Valdez, Lidio M.
This paper reports the recent discovery of a bird bone necklace from Amato, an Early Intermediate Period site located in the Acari Valley of Peru. The necklace was found in association with an approximately 60 year-old adult male, around whom had been buried several dozen headless human individuals of different sexes and ages, the likely victims of ritual sacrifice. The necklace was made from about 200 carpometacarpus bones of a small bird species that remains to be identified. FR: Cet article rapporte la découverte récente d'un collier en os d'oiseau à Amato, un site datant de la Période Intermédiaire inférieure situé dans la vallée d'Acari, au Pérou. Le collier a été trouvé en association avec un homme d'environ 60 ans d'âge, autour duquel avaient été enterrés plusieurs douzaines d'individus acéphales, de sexes et d'âges différents, victimes probables d'un sacrifice rituel. Le collier est fabriqué d'environ 200 carpometacarpes, provenant d'un petit oiseau dont l'espèce qui n'a pas encore été identifié.
Forthcoming conferences
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2005)
Table of contents, editors’ note, foreword
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2007) Burke, Ariane
Les sites préhistoriques d’abattage et de traitement de bisons : nouvelles perspectives de recherche
(Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, 2007) Julien, Marie-Anne
This paper presents a synthesis of European prehistoric research concerning sites dominated by large bovids and discusses new research perspectives for these sites. An outline for the comparative analysis of bison kill and butchery sites from North American and European contexts is presented. These butchery and processing areas represent a precious source of information for furthering our understanding of past human behaviour, particularly past hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies. FR: Cet article a pour objectif de présenter notre projet doctoral d’analyse comparative des sites préhistoriques d’abattage et de boucherie de bisons. Ces gisements, connus en Europe et en Amérique du Nord, constituent de précieux témoins pour la compréhension des comportements humains passés et des diverses stratégies de chasse développées par les anciens chasseurs-cueilleurs. Un bref bilan des travaux menés sur les sites à grands bovidés sera exposé avant de proposer de nouvelles perspectives de recherche.
In memoriam: Richard E. Morlan
(2007) Harington, C. R.
Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, No. 9 (1996)
(University of Victoria Libraries, 1996) Stewart, Kathlyn; Murphy, Brent M.; Black, David W.
This issue contains: - Editor's Note by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 1) - Zooarchaeology in the Canadian Maritimes by Brent M. Murphy & David W. Black (p. 2-20) - Recent Publications by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 20-21) - Forthcoming Conferences by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 21-22) - Requests, Exchanges, Notices by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 23)
Canadian Zooarchaeology / Zooarchéologie canadienne, No. 19 (2001)
(University of Victoria Libraries, 2001) Stewart, Kathlyn; Orchard, Trevor J.; Wigen, Rebecca J.; Christensen, Tina
This issue contains: - Editor's Note by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 1) - Environmental archaeology in Gwaii Haanas by Trevor J. Orchard (p. 2-8) - Pacific Identifications Inc.: a west coast success story by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 9-11) - Fauna from Prince Rupert harbour sites, British Columbia: preliminary findings by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 12-15) - The fauna from Cohoe Creek: an early shell midden in Haida Gwaii by Rebecca J. Wigen & Tina Christensen (p. 16-19) - Recent Publications by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 20) - Forthcoming Conferences by Kathlyn Stewart (p. 20)

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