Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T17:04:15.689Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Dating of Russian Hunting Stations in South Spitsbergen Using Dendrochronological and Radiocarbon Analyses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2016

Jan Chochorowski  and
Marek Krąpiec
Jan Chochorowski
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University, Gołębia 11, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
Marek Krąpiec*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH – University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
*
*Corresponding author. Email: mkrapiec@agh.edu.pl.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Excavations conducted in 1982–1987 by the Polish archaeological expedition of Jagiellonian University in the Sørkappland and Hornsund fjord regions of Spitsbergen encompassed the three Pomor hunting stations of Bjørnbeinflyene, Palffyodden, and Schönningholmane, and included relics from the landing site on the Tørrflya coast used by the Pomors. The wood recovered during the excavations, originating from wooden dwellings, monumental crosses, and a shipwreck, was subjected to dendrochronological analysis. In total, 26 samples were examined, which allowed for the following chronologies to be developed: SPITS_A3 (larch, 9 samples, 208 yr); SPITS_B1 (pine, 5 samples, 222 yr); and SPITS_C1 (spruce, 2 samples, 142 yr). The dendrochronological dating obtained for the spruce sequence was established as AD 1769–1910. The chronological position of the remaining sequences was established by means of wiggle-matching. The results suggest that the youngest rings of the larch sequence cannot be older than AD 1745, and the youngest rings of the pine sequence date within the period of AD 1697–1805 or 1837–1869. Absolute dates obtained for the wood from the huts from the northern part of Sørkappland are consistent with the chronological framework established based on historical data. Thus, the hypothesis positing pre-Barents chronology of the Russian promysl in the investigated area could not be confirmed.

Keywords

Russian hunting stationsdendrochronology14C datingwiggle-matchingSpitsbergen
Type
Puzzles in Archaeological Chronologies
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 59 , Special Issue 2: Proceedings of the 22nd International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 1 of 2) , April 2017 , pp. 519 - 530
Copyright
© 2016 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 2015 Radiocarbon Conference, Dakar, Senegal, 16–20 November 2015

References

REFERENCES

Albrethsen, SE, Arlov, TB. 1988. The discovery of Svalbard – a problem reconsidered. Fennoscandia archaeologica V:105–110.Google Scholar
Baillie, MGL, Pilcher, JR. 1973. A simple cross-dating program for tree-ring research. Tree-Ring Bulletin 33:7–14.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C. 2009. Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51(1):337–360.Google Scholar
Bronk Ramsey, C, van der Plicht, J, Weninger, B. 2001. ‘Wiggle-matching’ radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 43(2A):381–389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chernykh, NB. 1987. Nekotorye itogi dendrokhronologicheskogo izuchenija dereva postroek s arkhpelaga Shpitsbergen . In: Repelewska-Pękalowa J, Harasymiuk M, Pękala K, editors. XIV Sympozjum Polarne. Lublin. p 252–259.Google Scholar
Chernykh, NB. 1990. Rezultaty dendrokhronologicheskogo izuchenija dereva iz raskopok na arkhipelage Shpitsberegen. In: Starkov VF, Rozenfel’d RL, Zavjalov VI, editors. Ocherki istorii osvoenija Shpitsbergena. Moskow. p 107–123.Google Scholar
Chochorowski, J. 1988. Pomor settlement complexes in north-western Sørkappland (West Spitsberegen) in the light of Polish archeological exploration, Tromura. Kulturhistorie 11:123–144.Google Scholar
Chochorowski, J. 1989a. The Hornsund whaling station – exploration and conservation problems. Acta Borealia 1:21–42.Google Scholar
Chochorowski, J. 1989b. Some major problems of the archaeological exploration of north-western Sørkapp Land (Spitsbergen). Prace Geograficzne 81:179–266.Google Scholar
Chochorowski, J. 1992. Dendrochronologie der russischen Jägerstationen auf Spitzbergen und historische Tatsachen . In: Pusztay J, Saveljeva E, editors. Specimina Sibirica. T V Savariae. p 53–62.Google Scholar
Chochorowski, J. 1999. Problems of the Dendrochronology of Russian Hunting Stations on Spitsbergen. Kraków.Google Scholar
Cook, ER, Krusic, PJ. 2005. ARSTAN v. 41d: A Tree-Ring Standardization Program Based on Detrending and Autoregressive Time Series Modeling, with Interactive Graphics. Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. Palisades, New York.Google Scholar
Eckstein, D, Bauch, J. 1969. Beitrag zur rationaliserung eines dendrochronolgischen verfahrens und zur Analyse seiner aussagesicherheit. Forstwissenschaftliche Centralblatt 88:230–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eggertsson, Ó. 1994a. Driftwood as an indicator of relative changes in the influx of Arctic and Atlantic water into the coastal areas of Svalbard. Polar Research 13(2):209–218.Google Scholar
Eggertsson, Ó. 1994b. Origin of the Arctic driftwood – a dendrochronological study. Lundqua Thesis 32:1–13.Google Scholar
Hacquebord, L. 1981. De walvisvaart: historie van een bedrjfstak . In: Hacquebord L, de Bok R, editors. Spitsberegen 79˚ N.B. Een Nederlandse expeditie in het spoor van Willem Barentsz. Amsterdam. p 9–43.Google Scholar
Heinz, A. 1966. Russian Opinion about the Discovery of Spitsbergen. Oslo: Årbok 1964. p 93–118.Google Scholar
Hellmann, L, Tegel, W, Eggertsson, Ó, Schweingruber, FH, Blanchette, R, Kirdyanov, A, Gärtner, H, Büntgen, U. 2013. Tracing the origin of Arctic driftwood. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 118(1):68–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hellmann, L, Tegel, W, Kirdyanov, AV, Eggertsson, Ó, Esper, J, Agafonov, L, Nikolaev, AN, Knorre, AA, Myglan, VS, Churakova (Sidorova), O, Schweingruber, FH, Nievergelt, D, Verstege, A, Büntgen, U. 2015. Timber logging in Central Siberia is the main source for recent Arctic driftwood. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 47(3):449–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hellmann, L, Agafonov, L, Churakova (Sidorova), O, Düthorn, E, Eggertsson, Ó, Esper, J, Kirdyanov, AV, Knorre, AA, Moiseev, P, Myglan, VS, Nikolaev, AN, Reinig, F, Schweingruber, F, Solomina, O, Tegel, W, Büntgen, U. 2016. Regional coherency of boreal forest growth defines Arctic driftwood provenancing. Dendrochronologia 39:3–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, RL. 1983. Computer-assisted quality control in tree-ring data and measurement. Tree-Ring Bulletin 43:69–78.Google Scholar
Hultgreen, T. 2000. Den russiske fangsten på Svalbard. En reanalyze av arkeologiske og historiske kilder [PhD thesis]. Tromsø: Tromsø University.Google Scholar
Jasinski, ME. 1993. Russian hunting in Svalbard – the fourth model. In Jasinski ME, editor. Pomors in Grumant. Archaeological Studies of Russian Hunting Stations in Svalbard. Volume 2. Trondheim–Tromsø. p 191–266.Google Scholar
Krawczyk, A, Krąpiec, M. 1995. Dendrochronologiczna baza danych. Materiały II Krajowej Konferencji: Komputerowe wspomaganie badań naukowych. Wrocław. p 247–252.Google Scholar
Krapiec, M, Walanus, A. 2011. Application of the triple-photomultiplier liquid spectrometer Hidex 300SL in radiocarbon dating. Radiocarbon 53(3):543–550.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Bard, E, Bayliss, A, Beck, JW, Blackwell, PG, Bronk Ramsey, C, Buck, CE, Cheng, H, Edwards, RL, Friedrich, M, Grootes, PM, Guilderson, TP, Haflidason, H, Hajdas, I, Hatté, C, Heaton, TJ, Hoffmann, DL, Hogg, AG, Hughen, KA, Kaiser, KF, Kromer, B, Manning, SW, Niu, M, Reimer, RW, Richards, DA, Scott, EM, Southon, JR, Staff, RA, Turney, CSM, van der Plicht, J. 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration curves 0–50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–1887.Google Scholar
Rinn, F. 2005. TSAP-Win. Time Series Analysis and Presentation for Dendrochronology and Related Applications. User Reference. Heidelberg.Google Scholar
Schweingruber, FH. 1989. Tree Rings - Basics and Applications of Dendrochronology. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.Google Scholar
Skripkin, VV, Kovalyukh, NN. 1994. An universal technology for oxidation of carbon-containing materials for radiocarbon dating. Conference on Geochronology and Dendrochronology of Old Town’s and Radiocarbon Dating of Archaeological Findings. 31 October – 4 November 1994. Vilnius University Press. p 37–42.Google Scholar
Starkov, VF. 1987. Russkoe arkticheskoe moreplavanie i pokhody na Shpitsbergen v XVI veke . In: Repelewska-Pękalowa J, Harasymiuk M, Pękala K, editors. XIV Sympozjum Polarne. Lublin. p 236–241.Google Scholar
Starkov, VF. 1990. Khronologija i periodizatsija russkikh pamjatnikov na Shpitsbergene . In: Starkov VF, Rozenfel’d RL, Zavjalov VI, editors. Ocherki istorii osvoenija Shpitsbergena. Moskow. p 124–133.Google Scholar
Starkov, VF. 1998. Ocherki istorii osvoenija Arktiki. t. I. Shpitsbergen. Moskow.Google Scholar
Starkov, VF, Korjakin, VS, Zav’jalov, VI. 1983. Russkie poselenija XVI v. na Shpitsbergene. Vestnik Akademii Nauk SSSR 12:109–113.Google Scholar
Zielski, A, Krąpiec, M. 2004. Dendrochronologia. Warszawa: PWN.Google Scholar