"Left for the Tide to Take Back": Specialized Taphonomic Mechanisms at Play in a Coastal Maine Seal Hunting Camp

Summary

Archaeological investigations at Holmes Point West (Maine site 62-8) on the eastern Maine coast have yielded potential indicators of cultural treatment of seal remains that vary between two primary species: harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) and gray seal (Halichoerus grypus). Analyses of these patterns required development of element-specific speciation factors for best represented elements for each species, the temporal bone of the skull, including the auditory bulla and mastoid process. Holmes Point West is situated in the midst of a high density of petroglyph sites on Machias Bay, and in the context of abundant Algonquin oral traditions emphasizing cultural practices that reflect respect for the spirit of hunted animals. This presentation hypothesizes cultural practices associated with bone disposal patterns within the assemblage, and trajectories for ongoing research at Machias Bay.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22316