Anth 3511 Professor Gibbon

Norton, Dorset, and Thule

 c.1000 BC-AD 800

 Norton Tradition of the Western Arctic

a. Choris 1000-500 BC,

b. Norton 500 BC-AD 800

c. Iputiak AD 1-800

c. 550 BC-AD 1100   Dorset Culture of the Eastern Arctic
 c. 700 BC-AD 1800  Thule (Inuit/Eskimo) Tradition inAlaska
 After c, AD 900  Thule Expansion Eastward

1. Introduction. In contrast to the stable Archaic life-ways of the interior Subarctic, radical cultural shifts occurred in Far North coastal zones, first in the Bering Strait area and later in the Eastern Arctic. These zones were occupied by the Norton tradition in Alaska and the Dorset tradition eastward. Both have roots in the Arctic Small Tool tradition and were eclipsed by the neo-Eskimo Thule tradition after c. AD900. Thule emerges historically as the Inuit (Eskimo).

2. The Norton Tradition of the Western Arctic (c. 1000 BC-AD 800).

A. The Norton tradition, which is divided into three cultures (Choris 1000-500 BC, Norton 500 BC-AD 800, Ipiutak AD 1-800), is characterized by: (1) Major changes in subsistence strategies: a more maritime focus, year round sea mammal hunting both in open water and through winter ice, intensive fishing; caribou and small mammal hunting remain important among Choris and Norton people.

B. First definitive shift toward establishing permanent settlements on the seacoast; substantial year-round semi-subterranean houses; dense long-term occupation (hundreds of houses occur at some sites, such as Point Hope).

C. An Arctic Small Tool tradition tool base except microblades and the burin technology is gone; first pottery vessels (fiber-tempered, stamped pottery from Asia) and stone lamps for burning oil; toggling harpoons and polished slate implements.

D. Of the three cultures, Choris is the most poorly known and Norton the best because it occurs at many sites around the Alaska coast. Ipiutak emerges in the far north of Alaska and is contemporary with later Norton. Ipiutak lacks pottery, polished slate implements, and oil lamps, but was a successful year round sea mammal hunting culture with much permanent settlement, large coastal sites, and sophisticated, elaborately decorated, harpoon heads.

dorsetmap

3. The Dorset Culture of the Eastern Arctic (c. 550 BC-AD 1100)

A. For whatever reason, the Pre-Dorset culture evolved into the Dorset culture during a period of heightened culture change in a cooler period. Dorset was a remarkably homogeneous culture throughout its range.

B. Subsistence and domestic activity was much like the Pre-Dorset: The winter spring season focused on sea mammal hunting (whales, seals, walrus); in the summer and fall, caribou were hunted with spears and fish (salmon, char) captured with fish harpoons and compound leisters in rivers.

C. Rectangular, semi-subterranean winter houses, winter snow houses (igloos), and round summer tends were built.

D. Tools include snow knives, blubber lamps, a ground slate industry, distinctive harpoon head forms, sealing projectile points.

E. Dorset is famous for its elaborate and highly evolved artistic tradition that includes carved wood, bone, and ivory depictions of humans, spirit monsters, and animals; objects are of a magico-religious nature; supernatural universe.

F. Dorset is famous also for what it lacks, including harpoon floats, the maupok method of hunting seals at breathing holes, dog sleds, cold-trap entrances for houses, bow and arrows, throwing boards (they used simple lances and harpoons).

Thule map

4. The Thule Tradition in Alaska (c.700 BC-AD 1800). Includes all prehistoric Eskimo remains in Bering Strait after c. 700 BC, fkom northern Alaska coast after c. Ad 800, from southern coasts after c. AD 1000, and from Canada and Greenland after c. AD 1000.

A. In Alaska, Thule tradition divided into an earlier Old Bering Sea and later Punuk-Birnirk cultures. By c. AD 1000, all the major items of historic Eskimo culture existed throughout the Alaskan coast, including fully equipped kayaks, umiaks, dog sleds, harpoon line floats, sunken houses with deep entrances, heavy use of polished slate tools, pottery (thick and gravel tempered), and a wide variety of specialized tools and weapons (e.g., components for specialized arrows, darts, and spears for fish, birds, and different size sea mammals; toggling and non-toggling harpoons; dart heads for land mammals; snow goggles). An extensive organic inventory survives in the archaeological record. These items revolutionized coastal life throughout the Arctic. Some appear in the archaeological for the first time (kayaks, umiaks, dog sleds, efficient toggling harpoons, harpoon line floats, harpoon mounted ice picks). Objects of iron.

B. Thule was a highly specialized culture that emphasized whale hunting where possible and winter ice hunting. Large villages at favorable whaling locations organized economically and ceremonially into whaling crews and whaleboat owning entrepreneurs as in the historic period.

C. Their art a high point of all Eskimo art traditions. Elaborate carved ivory objects. Changes through time in this tradition seen mainly in differences in harpoon styles and art motifs.

5. Thule Expansion Eastward. After c. AD 900, Thule traits and people move southward to the Pacific coast, into the Alaskan interior (e.g., Arctic Woodland culture), and across northern Canada to Greenland. Probably related to a warm weather cycle (Medieval Warm Period) that shifted pack ice northward and changed path of sea-mammal migrations. Retreated after AD 1300 in cold period.

A. Superior Thule technology out-competed Dorset people. Thule emerges historically as the neo-Eskimo Inuit (Dorset and earlier are Paleo-Eskimos).

B. Typical Thule equipment and life-ways but pottery replaced by soapstone vessels. Hunters of seals, walrus, and large whales. Used seal-skin covered kayak and more substantial umiak for hunting and rapid transportation in summer; dog sleds in winter. Used bow and arrow for caribou and musk ox. Harpoons often propelled by throwing board. Three house types.

 

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