The Zooarchaeological Study of Sculpin (Cottidae) at an Ancient W̱SÁNEĆ Village Site
Date
2025
Authors
Bartel-Ens, Skye
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Zooarchaeology, the study of animal remains within an archaeological context, allows us to uncover the human-animal relationships that existed in the past. This zooarchaeological study uses a sample of 2,099 fish bones recovered from the later occupation (15th to 18th centuries) of ȾEL¸IȽĆE, an ancient W̱SÁNEĆ village site, to investigate how the people at this site engaged with the lands and waters around them. Analysis of this pre-contact study sample revealed an anomaly in the abundance of sculpin (Cottidae) at ȾEL¸IȽĆE, when compared with other sites in the Salish Sea. Investigations into why we see so many sculpin at ȾEL¸IȽĆE, and how they were harvested and processed, revealed remnants of an ancient Indigenous sculpin fishery that had been left out of history. Sculpin, making up 64% of the fish at ȾEL¸IȽĆE, were highly abundant in waters along Cordova Bay Beach, leading to their use as a primary and/or supplementary subsistence source for the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples living at this site. Additionally, the abundant presence of sculpin in a prominent hearth feature suggests that the people at ȾEL¸IȽĆE were processing sculpin directly at the site, potentially using pit cook cooking techniques. The ancient sculpin fishery at ȾEL¸IȽĆE was an intentional, well-established subsistence practice, and needs to be incorporated into W̱SÁNEĆ marine use claims and boundaries.
Description
Keywords
Indigenous, Ancient Fishery, Sculpin, Bullhead, W̱SÁNEĆ, Cordova Bay, Department of Anthropology