The age and cultural affiliation of the Ekven burial ground through the analysis of its ceramic collection

Abstract

One of the main problems in studying the Ekven burial ground is determining its age and cultural affiliation. From the very first years of its research to the present, the typology of harpoon tips and the stylistic analysis of ornaments on bone items constitute the basis for solving the corresponding range of issues. This approach allowed defining that the burial ground belongs to the early phase of the sequence of the Neo-Eskimo cultures, namely the Old Bering Sea culture. Meanwhile, an analysis of the ceramic collection of the Ekven burial ground shows that the site contains only ceramics typical of the late Birnirk culture, characterized by circular and arched ornamental patterns. This differentiate the Ekven burial ground from other reference sites of the ancient Bering Sea culture located on the American side of the Bering Strait and containing ceramics that preserve the ancient traditions of Paleo-Eskimo ceramics, characterized by linear and “checked” imprints on the vessels surfaces. Such situation is rather contradictory and requires some explanation. Apparently, the materials from the Ekven burial ground have not yet been fully understood, and research to determine its cultural affiliation needs to be continued. The article provides a brief overview of the materials related to the establishment of cultural and chronological affiliation of the burial ground, summarizes the data on its absolute dating and the results of the analysis of its ceramics. Several possibilities for resolving the contradictions that arose after studying the Ekven ceramic collection are discussed.