The faunal assemblage analyzed in this thesis was excavated by the Ikaahuk Archaeology Project during the summer 2014 field season. The animal bones were identified and analyzed to reconstruct the human use of Banks Island resources during late Thule times (ca. 1400 – 1700 AD). The assemblage was drawn from nine different contexts (n = 9329) in Dwelling 2, representing the roof/wall collapse, a midden, and four pits
generated during the dwelling occupation. It was dominated by mammalian species, particularly ringed seal, Arctic fox, and caribou. The majority of ringed seal skeletal parts were well-represented in Dwelling 2, suggesting that these animals were transported whole to the site. An analysis of caribou skeletal part representation suggested that elements poorly suited for drying were brought back to Dwelling 2. The other elements were likely dried and cached elsewhere, perhaps near kill sites, for later consumption. In several cases, the fox elements recovered from Dwelling 2 were still articulated. This indicates that large portions of fox carcasses were discarded with soft tissue still intact, suggesting that at least a portion of the fox assemblage was primarily exploited for pelts rather than as food. This interpretation is supported by an abundance of slate uluit, a tool used for skinning and preparing hides, found within Dwelling 2.
A variety of bird remains was also represented in the assemblage, the most common avian taxa included: snow goose, rock/willow ptarmigan, Ross’s goose, Canada goose, and snowy owl. With the exception of ptarmigan, a year-round resident of Banks Island, the bird species are summer migrants. All fish bones in the analyzed assemblage were identified to the Family Salmonidae and as either lake trout or Arctic char when more specific identifications were possible. Arctic char is a common anadromous species on Banks Island that is often exploited during upstream and downstream runs in the fall and spring, respectively. However, there are also resident populations found in lakes year- round on Banks Island, both species are found in nearby Fish Lake and lake trout are found close by in Middle Lake and Emegak Lake, thus precluding an assessment of Dwelling 2 seasonality based upon the fish sample.
The architecture uncovered during our excavation of Dwelling 2 lacked many characteristic traits of Thule winter houses, such as a paved flagstone floor and
whalebone supports. As a result, we interpreted Dwelling 2 as a Thule qarmaq, a shallow semi-subterranean house with sod walls and a skin roof. The shallow central depression, approximately 30 cm in depth, is similar to that of dwellings recorded at the Pembroke site on Victoria Island, which were interpreted as “relatively light winter houses.” The Pembroke structures had shallow entrance tunnels and partial stone pavements (Norman and Friesen 2010: 265). We define Dwelling 2 as a qarmaq because it stands in contrast
to the winter houses observed at OkRn-1 (e.g., Dwellings 1 and 5) which are larger and more substantial (surface mounds are higher and greater in diameter) and include protruding whale bone supports. The substantial entrance tunnel of Dwelling 2 makes it somewhat unique among archaeologically and ethnographically known qarmat,
demonstrating the variability of Thule architecture and the existence of dwelling forms that are not readily characterized as classic winter house or qarmat structures.
I examined seasonal indicators to establish whether Dwelling 2 was inhabited during transitional seasons (i.e., spring and fall), like most qarmat reported ethnographically (Mathiassen 1927; Park 1988), or throughout the entire winter, as described in some ethnographic accounts (Boas 1964; Schledermann 1976). A demographic profile of ringed seals from Dwelling 2 showed a majority of juveniles, followed by adults, and few yearling/fetal elements. This trend indicates a spring hunting season at the floe edge, although adults were also hunted at breathing holes and birthing lairs close to shore (Smith 1987). Two ringed seal femora were identified as fetal elements, signalling that some seal hunting occurred in the late winter during their gestation period.
The preponderance of snow goose in the assemblage also suggests a season of occupation during their spring arrival and vulnerable molting period (Manning et al. 1956) until their return to the south in late fall. Ross’s goose, Canada goose, and snowy owl migrate to Banks Island around the same time and are also warm season indicators. Caribou on Banks Island are most commonly hunted in the fall when the animals and their hides are in prime condition (Stenton 1989). As such, we interpret the Dwelling 2 qarmaq as a late winter, spring, and fall occupation in accordance with previous assumptions of qarmat seasonality (reviewed by Park 1988).
Smaller faunal assemblages from Dwellings 1 and 5 at OkRn-1 were recovered and reported by Arnold (2010). A comparison between all three dwellings suggested that ringed seal hunting mostly took place at the same time of year (i.e., late winter and early spring), but that a higher frequency of caribou and snow goose at Dwelling 2 could be attributed to continued occupation of Dwelling 2 into the late spring and during the fall. Overall, it appears that the major differences in faunal abundance can be credited to
differences in seasonality, with Dwellings 1 and 5 occupied primarily in winter, and occupation of Dwelling 2 in the fall and again in late winter and spring.