The Role of Diet in Arctic Adaptations

Portland State University, Portland OR

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Shelby Anderson, Portland State University, and Dr. Tammy Buonasera, University of California-Davis, will carry out research on past aquatic resource use in the Arctic. Aquatic resources are central to modern Iupiaq and Inuit culture. The importance of aquatic resources (e.g. fish, seal, whale) extends far beyond food and consumption, providing social, spiritual, community connection, and sustenance. When, why, and how this way of life developed remains one of the most enduring questions in Arctic archaeology. This research will be the first extensive study of ancient Arctic foodways through lipid and isotopic analysis. The project will provide long-term data on northern food systems and human-animal interactions that are of interest to northern Indigenous communities, biologists, and paleoecologists. Drs. Anderson and Buoansera will study the role of processing of animal products (bone, fat, and oil for food and fuel) in the development and expansion aquatic focused subsistence over the last 4500 years. During this period, archaeological evidence points to the emergence, intensification, and spread of a maritime focused subsistence economy in the North. The evidence for this is indirect; archaeologists infer aquatic resource use from the appearance of seasonal coastal habitation and specialized marine hunting technology in archaeological sites from this time period. This project will study direct evidence of past aquatic resource use by undertaking lipid and isotopic analysis of ceramic cooking vessel residues and sediments from archaeological sites. Research will address the question of what types of foods were processed and consumed over the last 4500 years in Arctic Alaska. Project activities include: 1) a petrographic study of pottery technology and production, 2) an experimental study of pottery manufacturing and cooking, 3) lipid and compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of ceramic and sediment residues, and 4) analysis of residues from key modern species to inform interpretation of residue results. This project will begin the process of constructing a regional residue reference database that is critical for future lipid and isotopic research in the North. The project will provide a student training opportunity and a Master's thesis. Lastly, this research is addressing key questions about the antiquity and nature of Arctic aquatic resource use and food processing practices that are of broader interest to communities, archaeologists, biologists, and paleoecologists working across the circumpolar region and beyond. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.