Traces of hunters on Eastern Arctic islands in ancient times. Part 1

Abstract

Based on RS and GIS data, the knowledge about localities (2nd cent. CE–early 20th cent. CE) connected with pioneer sea hunters of the Kolyuchin, Wrangel, and Herald islands (KI, WI, and HI) has been revised, including the data obtained by the author in 1978–1988 during zoological expeditions. The study was initiated by the intention to save rare evidence from being accidently destroyed by th heavy bombardments of Kyiv by Russia. Thus, the description of previously unknown Stone Age artifacts found on KI was saved; the coordinates of some previous locations were reconstructed and the geo-positions of the new ones were added. According to all the data it was proved that the former Soviet polar station (KI) was built on a mosaic of ancient camps, which definitely affected the integrity of the cultural layer. The first study of these camps carried out in the 1960s was not exhaustive. For WI: a) we used the latest e-maps, RS data and the new comparisons to indicate the most likely possible vector of a new search for traces of the Paleolithic site that were described in the 1930s (by the geologist L. Gromov), but which had been lost; b) we reconstructed the coordinates of dozens of ancient hunting shelters, which seem to have changed faster than others due to the destructive influence of the sea; c) we added a description of traces corresponding to sites of seabird hunters (on the west) and mammal hunters (on the north), the latter retaining a whale rib among the remains. Little-known literature data about rare finds of remains of the sailing fleet time on the coast of WI, which were not paid attention to before, were added. The author shares some rare survey references about the finding of an ancient weapon of the 17th (?) century on HI, and a coin of the 19th century on WI. The article is illustrated with little-known pictures of clusters of marine mammal skulls on KI, as well as of some rare products related to the former archaic maritime industry of WI. The Soviet views on toponymy, and the practice of excessive enthusiasm for descriptions of discoveries of polar islands ‘beyond the horizon’ of the 19th century are criticised. The article would be an auxiliary source for lecturers and students of the National Univerity of Life and Envorpnmental Sciences of Ukraine and of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, who teach or study landscape and applied ecology, conservation biology, as well as be the author’s contribution into the new European initiatives, such as ‘Arctic in Eastern Europe. Knowledge, Perception and Communi­cation in the 18th–19th Centuries’ (Torun, Poland).

Keywords

• ancient sites
• hunters
• hunting
• eastern arctic
• islands
• gis
• rs