Project Overview and Mission

Aquatic resources are central to modern Iñupiaq and Inuit culture. The importance of these resources extends far beyond food and consumption, providing social, spiritual, and community connection and sustenance. When, why, and how this complex human-animal interaction and way of life developed remains one of the most enduring questions in Arctic archaeology. Our interest is in studying the role of processing of animal products (bone, fat, and oil for food and fuel) in the development and expansion of Arctic maritime traditions over the last 4500 years. 

We plan to apply new methods to the question of: what types of foods were processed over the last 4500 years in Arctic Alaska? 

Project activities include:

• Studying how ancestral pottery was made and used through clay sourcing petrography and descriptive analysis

• Testing experimental replications of Arctic pottery to understand how vessels were used

• Learning what foods were processed in ancient pottery through lipid and isotopic analysis of pottery and sediment residues, which we also compare to a database of modern northern animal lipid and isotopic data we created with the support of northwest Alaskan subsistence hunters

• Engaging with communities to learn more about pottery making and share our work through experiential workshops and the creation of a community cookbook project

This project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation #1749078.