Structure and chronology of Russian hunting stations on the Sørkappland and Hornsund coasts (Spitsbergen)

Abstract

Excavations conducted in 1982–1987 by a Polish archaeological expedition from the Jagiellonian University in the Sørkappland and Hornsund coasts 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 and radiocarbon analyses. 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 1751, and the youngest rings of the pine sequence date within one of three periods: AD 1718–1760, 1772–1808, or 1825–1869. 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.