Archaeology in Antarctica

279 Pages·2022·9.322 MB·English

by  Andres Zarankin, Michael Pearson, Melisa A. Salerno

ARCHAEOLOGY IN ANTARCTICA
Archaeology in Antarctica outlines the history of archaeology in the Antarctic and
sub-Antarctic.
This book details for the frst time all past archaeological work in Antarctica,
relating to both its use for conservation and research purposes, drawing on pub-
lished, unpublished and oral information. This work has addressed historic and
current scientifc bases, explorers’ huts, whaling stations and sealing shelters. The
ongoing and long-term research on the sealing shelters and sites in the South
Shetland Islands features prominently. The archaeology enables new perspectives
on the impact of global modernity and empire in the Antarctic and challenges
established dominant discourses on the ‘heroic’ nature of human interaction with
the continent. The work on sealing sites gives voice to the experiences of the
sealer as a subaltern group previously largely overlooked by historical sources.
This book will appeal to students and researchers in archaeology, history and
heritage as well as readers interested in the human and historical aspects of Ant-
arctica’s past and present.
Andrés Zarankin is currently professor of Archaeology at the Federal
University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil) and director of the Laboratory of
Antarctic Studies in Human Sciences (LEACH). He is editor of Vestigios; Revista
Latino-Americana de Arqueologia Historica. His main research interests include his-
torical archaeology, archaeological theory and Antarctic’s archaeology.
Michael Pearson is a former heritage consultant and researcher, who now
works as an independent scholar. He has worked extensively in historical and
industrial archaeology, heritage planning and World Heritage internationally for
over four decades, and has undertaken extensive research in the Antarctic, with
many published articles and books. He has been awarded the Order of Australia
for his work.
Melisa A. Salerno is a researcher at the Multidisciplinary Institute of History
and Human Sciences, National Council of Scientifc and Technical Research in
Argentina (IMHICIHU-CONICET). She has worked on several case studies in
historical archaeology, with special emphasis on nineteenth-century Antarctica.
Her research interests include the life of ‘invisible’ groups, power and identity
dynamics and embodied practices and experiences.
ARCHAEOLOGY IN
ANTARCTICA
Andrés Zarankin, Michael Pearson and
Melisa A. Salerno
Designed cover image: Detail of “lighthouse” – Raku fred ceramic
2018 – Marcia Seo (Brazil).
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Andrés Zarankin, Michael Pearson and Melisa A. Salerno
The right of Andrés Zarankin, Michael Pearson and Melisa A. Salerno
to be identifed as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-0-367-19238-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-19239-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-20125-7 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9780429201257
Typeset in Bembo
by codeMantra
CONTENTS
List of fgures vii
List of tables xv
Acknowledgements xvii
Introduction 1
1 Developing an understanding of archaeology in Antarctica –
human interactions with a polar environment 9
1.1 The historical and geographical background 9
1.2 The material/textual context 20
1.3 Working in a unique geo-political environment 23
2 The history of archaeological investigations in Antarctica
and the sub-Antarctic Islands 29
2.1 The archaeology of exploration and science – the ‘heroic era’ huts 34
2.2 The archaeology of late-nineteenth and twentieth-century
scientifc stations and feld camps 59
2.3 Discussion of the archaeology of huts and scientifc stations 69
2.4 The archaeology of sealing, whaling and penguining in the
Antarctic and sub-Antarctic 75
2.5 Discussion of sealing, penguining and whaling archaeology 95
3 The archaeology of the South Shetland Islands 97
3.1 History of archaeological work in the South Shetland Islands 98
3.2 The South Shetlands sealing project – ‘Landscapes in White’ 110
3.3 Final words 154
vi Contents
4 Approaching sealers’ practices and experiences 155
4.1 Working practices 155
4.2 Subsistence and leisure time practices 174
4.3 Conclusion – everyday life scenarios 201
Final thoughts 205
40 years of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic archaeology 206
Ways forward 209
Bibliography 211
Appendix: Sealing sites identifed in the South Shetland Islands (to 2018) 233
Index 255
FIGURES
1.1 Map of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica showing the sub-
Antarctic islands and Antarctic locations (based on Wikimedia
Commons 2004) 14
1.2 H ersilia Cove on Rugged Island looking north-east over
New Plymouth (President’s) Harbour to the Byers Peninsula
on Livingston Island. These two harbours were used by the
sealers in the 1820s (Photo by Michael Pearson 2005) 16
1.3 S tromness whaling station, South Georgia, 2007, demonstrates
the large scale of the structures at whaling station and the
associated conservation and environmental challenges they
pose (Photo by Jens Bludau, Creative Commons) 18
1.4 A bsolute Magnetic Hut ruin at Mawson’s Huts, found to
contain iron fxings, counter to the documentary record
(Photo by Michael Pearson 1986) 22
1.5 T ry-pot buried beneath tussock at Skua Beach, Heard Island.
Many sub-Antarctic islands have very active depositional and
erosional forces hiding or exposing sealing artefacts (Photo by
Angela McGowan 1986) 24
2.1 A mundsen’s ‘Framheim’ hut at the Bay of Whales, 1912. The
hut was built on an ice shelf, and subsequently calved into
the sea, so it is not available for archaeological study (Source:
National Library of Norway, Creative Commons) 38
2.2 S cott’s Cape Evans Hut, 1910–12, with Mount Erebus beyond.
The section in the foreground was the stables for ponies taken
to haul sledges (Source: Flickr, Creative Commons) 40
2.3 S tables recreated outside Shackleton’s Cape Royds Hut, an
example of the ‘archaeology of nostalgia’. Pony stables existed
viii Figures
in this location, but had been dispersed and eroded. The box
walls were recreated – what is original and what is not? (Photo
by Michael Pearson 1992) 41
2.4 Borchgrevink’s Hut at Cape Adare, 1899–1900. The stores
hut is roofess. The frst architectural structure to be built in
Antarctica, as opposed to the rough shelters built by the sealers
80 years before (Source: Oceanwide-Expeditions,
Creative Commons) 42
2.5 S cott’s Discovery Hut, 1901–04, with McMurdo Station just
beyond it. While of moderate use to Scott, this hut was critical
to the survival of Shackleton’s Ross Sea party in 1914 (Source:
Tas 50, Creative Commons) 42
2.6 Stores next to wall at Shackleton’s Cape Royds Hut. Eroding
cases of tins, stacked both by Shackleton’s party and in
subsequent ‘clean-ups’. Since removed by archaeologists and
conserved (Photo by Michael Pearson 1992) 45
2.7 M awson’s Hut, Commonwealth Bay. Excavating through
snow and ice inside the hut. The ruler sits on the foor boards
with a layer of black ice marking the occupation period, with
blown snow above (Photo by Steve Bunton 1986) 47
2.8 P lume of discarded artefacts downwind of Mawson’s Hut
(Photo by Michael Pearson 1986) 49
2.9 A snapshot of the artefact scatter at Mawson’s Huts, showing
the diversity of materials discarded from an expedition hut:
boots, bamboo poles, heavy trousers, barrel head and the
ubiquitous timber from packing cases and construction (Photo
by Michael Pearson 1986) 50
2.10 S urvey lantern made out of a used tin can by magnetician
Eric Webb on the Mawson expedition. The ‘make-do’ nature
of much of the science would not be known of without the
material evidence (Photo by Michael Pearson 1986) 54
2.11 M awson’s Huts site: (a) Transit hut used to house a transit
theodolite to take astronomical observations. It shows the
severe impact of wind-blown ice crystals – the hut has
deteriorated much more in the 35 years since this photograph
was taken (Photo by Michael Pearson 1986); (b) Writing
on the timber post for the transit telescope, recording the
calculated longitude of the site – a valuable baseline location
for future research (Photo by Michael Pearson 1986) 55
2.12 N ordenskjöld’s Snow Hill Island Hut, 1901–03. The moraine
ridge on which the hut sits is unstable, hence the stabilisation
works visible here and is being studied for possible climate
change induced permafrost degradation (Photo by Michael
Pearson 2017) 56
Figures ix
2.13 Nordenskjöld’s Snow Hill Island Hut: (a) Structure after
conservation (Photo by Michael Pearson 2017); (b) Interior of
the living area (Photo by Michael Pearson 2017) 57
2.14 The shelter at Hope Bay, where Nordenskjöld’s party
members Anderson, Duse and Grunden wintered in 1903.
Argentina’s Esperanza Base behind (Photo by Michael
Pearson 2017) 58
2.15 S helter in which the shipwrecked crew of Nordenskjöld’s ship
Antarctic survived the winter of 1903 on Paulet Island (Photo
by Michael Pearson 2008) 59
2.16 Omond House, South Orkney islands, before its
reconstruction (Photo by Claudio Parica ca. 1985) 60
2.17 Astronomical observatory, Observatory Bay, Kerguelen Island.
Excavated in 2006–07 (Photo by Paul Courbon 2009) 62
2.18 East Base, Stonington Island, US station 1940–48.
Archaeological investigation took place in 1991 by
Robert Spude and Catherine Blee and in 1992 by Noel
Broadbent. (Source: http://picasaweb.google.com/geoffrey.
boys/2007OurFirstPicturesOfAntarcticaInFebruary#
5038576672732785698) 64
2.19 Wilkes Station, established by the United States in 1957,
operated by Australia in 1959–69, then abandoned. The most
intact of the IGY Antarctic station and a major heritage and
environmental dilemma (Photo by Michael Pearson 1986) 67
2.20 The wreck of the ‘Pegasus’ constellation aircraft, which ran
off an ice runway and irreparably damaged in 1970, near Ross
Island (Photo by Michael Pearson 1991) 69
2.21 Penguin digester factory at Nuggets Point, Macquarie Island.
Archaeologist Karen Townrow to right with timber from the
collapsed digester building on the ground amidst elephant seal
wallows (Photo by Michael Pearson 1987) 77
2.22 P enguin digester at the Isthmus, Macquarie Island, showing
the damage done to the timber floor of the digester building
by elephant seal wallowing (Photo by Michael Pearson 1987) 78
2.23 The same site as 2.22 four years later, after the construction of
heavy fences to keep seals off the site – ugly and only effective
in the short term and later removed (Photo by Michael
Pearson 1991) 79
2.24 Oil barrels eroding from a double line of 35 barrels,
abandoned at the site in 1882. Coastal erosion, exacerbated
by climate change, is a major threat to sealing sites (Photo by
Kevin Kiernan 2000) 81
2.25 Long Beach, Heard Island: (a) Two standing posts with a low
rock and turf wall, for a tent-hut (Photo by Angela McGowan