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This study characterizes how Native Americans living on the Oregon coast
used whales and small cetaceans prior to European contact. We present an
original analysis of a large subsample of archaeological cetacean remains
from the Palmrose (35CLT47) site and new identifications from the
previously analyzed Par-Tee (35CLT20) and Tahkenitch Landing (35DO130)
sites. Using zooarchaeological and biomolecular analyses we report species
presence and modification patterns to characterize use. Grays
(Eschrichtius robustus) and humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) were the
most commonly identified whale species and a preferred source of food,
oil, bone for tool manufacture, and possibly ligaments for sinew. Dolphins
and porpoises, especially harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), were a
source of food and possibly bone for tool manufacture. While opportunistic
hunting may have occurred, the presence of species such as blue
(Balaenoptera musculus) and Cuvier’s beaked (Ziphius cavirostris) whales
suggest collection of beached animals was an important acquisition
strategy. Our study demonstrates the value of biomolecular analyses for
improved species identifications/understanding of species richness, and
the value of zooarchaeological analysis to fully understand dietary and
cultural contributions of cetaceans to precontact lifeways on the Oregon
coast.
19 views reported since publication in 2023.