ARCUS | Arctic Research Consortium of the United States

6th Annual ARCUS Award for Arctic Research Excellence


Submitted by   Adam Allentuck
Authors   Adam Allentuck
Category   Social Science
Title   The Semisubterranean Dwelling: Cultural Features of the Western Canadian Arctic
Affiliation   Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Abstract

This paper is derived from a reference manual for identifying archaeological features of the Western Canadian Arctic. The larger manual includes the present discussion, as well as the raw data, excerpts from ethnohistoric sources, and many illustrations. The portion of the manual presented here is an overview of archaeological cultural features of the Western Canadian Arctic. Cultural features are the non-portable evidence of technology. In total, 47 features are recorded in a database consisting of 7 different feature types. Of the 47 features, 35 are semisubterranean dwellings, 4 are tent rings, 3 are hearths, 2 are food-smoking areas, 1 is an inuksuk system, another is a caribou drive lane, and there is also 1 cache. The descriptions of each of these features were transcribed into spreadsheets. In addition to this archaeological data, also included is ethnohistorical data that serves to reinforce the material evidence. The following discussion serves to explain in detail the cultural features of the Western Arctic. Initially, there was an intention to define, analyze and synthesize each of the seven feature types. Unfortunately, small sample sizes preclude the accomplishment of this task with six of them. The only feature type that allows for an objective analysis is the semisubterranean dwelling. For this reason, the focus of this discussion will be on the semisubterranean dwelling feature.