Abstracts
Abstract
Fuelwood harvesting is an integral part of the subsistence regime for many Arctic and subarctic peoples. Despite the relative paucity of woody resources in the northern tundra, charred wood fragments recovered from archaeological sites reveal a harvesting practice that is thousands of years old. Indeed, fuelwood gathering is a strategic behaviour involving a complex set of decisions beyond merely harvesting by proximity, as some have proposed. In this research, fuelwood harvesting is modeled within an economic framework. A fuel value index (FVI) is established to quantify the energetic returns of different wood species, and ethnographic interviews with Kodiak Island residents demonstrate the knowledge context that surrounds firewood acquisition. Archaeological charcoal from Kodiak Archipelago sites showcases a flexible, though increasingly selective strategy of fuelwood use by early inhabitants. For 7,500 years, maritime hunter-gatherers in the Gulf of Alaska took advantage of wood patchiness; they used a combination of exotic coniferous species in the form of driftwood and native deciduous trees such as alder to fuel their steam baths, smokehouses, and homes.
Résumé
Le ramassage du bois de feu fait partie intégrante de la subsistance de nombreux peuples arctiques et subarctiques. Malgré la relative rareté des ressources en bois dans la toundra nordique, les fragments de charbon de bois découverts dans des sites archéologiques révèlent que la pratique du ramassage remonte à plusieurs milliers d’années. De fait, le ramassage du bois de feu est un comportement stratégique impliquant un ensemble complexe de décisions allant au-delà de la simple récolte de proximité, comme certains l’ont suggéré. Dans cette recherche, le ramassage du bois de feu est intégré à un modèle économique. Nous avons élaboré un index de valeur énergétique quantifiant différents types de bois, et mené des entrevues ethnographiques avec des résidents de l’archipel de Kodiak, qui montrent le contexte de connaissances relatives à l’acquisition du bois de feu. Les charbons provenant des sites archéologiques de l’archipel de Kodiak illustrent une stratégie d’usage du bois de feu flexible, quoique de plus en plus sélective, par les premiers habitants. Pendant 7500 ans, les chasseurs-cueilleurs maritimes du golfe de l’Alaska ont tiré parti de la distribution irrégulière du bois; ils combinaient des conifères exotiques sous la forme du bois flotté et les feuillus locaux tels que l’aulne pour leurs bains de vapeur, leurs fumoirs et leurs maisons.
Appendices
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