Abstract
Livestock was often released onto remote Southern Ocean islands as a food source for shipwreck survivors during the industrial whaling and sealing era. Although animals were put ashore at nearby Isles Kerguelen and Crozet, the historical records make no mention of domesticated livestock ever being set ashore at Heard Island between 1855 and 1882. Here we report a pig (Sus scrofa) mandible discovered amongst other bones and artefacts in an ‘elephanters’ midden found at Spit Bay, Heard Island. The find provides very strong evidence a live pig was shipped ashore and eaten as part of the sealers meagre provisions. Archaeological investigations of middens at other sealing locations could produce new insights into the dietary habits of these men.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Basberg BL, Naevestad D, Gustav R (1996) Industrial archaeology at South Georgia: methods and results. Polar Rec 32:51–66
Burton HR, Williams DL (1985) Heard Island A.N.A.R.E. 1985 Report. Unpublished report Australian Antarctic Division
Busch BC (1985) The war against the seals. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Canada
Clarke AH (1887) The Antarctic fur seal and sea-elephant industry. In: Goode GB (ed) The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States, U.S. Senate Misc. Doc. No. 124, Sect. V, vol 10–11, 47–1
Convey P, Lebouvier M (2009) Environmental change and human impacts on terrestrial ecosystems of the sub-Antarctic islands between their discovery and the mid-Twentieth century. Papers Proc R Soc Tasman 143:33–44
Cumpston JS (1968) Macquarie Island. Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition Scientific Reports, Series A (1) Publication No. 93. Antarctic Division, Department of External Affairs, Melbourne
Dibbern JS (2010) Fur seals, whales and tourists: a commercial history of Deception Island, Antarctica. Polar Rec 46:210–221
Downes M, Downes E (2005) Sealing at Heard Island in the nineteenth century. In: Green K, Woehler EJ (eds) Heard Island: Southern Ocean Sentinel. Surrey Beatty and Sons, Chipping Norton
Eden AW (1955) Islands of despair. Andrew Melrose, London
English AJ (1990) Archaeological analysis of Nineteenth Century butchering patterns. Aust Hist Archaeol 8:63–69
Headland RK (1989) Chronological list of Antarctic expeditions and related historical events. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Larson G, Cucchi T, Fujita M, Matisoo-Smith E, Robins J, Anderson A, Rolet B, Spriggs M, Dolman G, Kim T-H, Thuy NTD, Randi E, Doherty M, Due RA, Bollt R, Djubianto T, Griffin B, Intoh M, Keane E, Kirch P, Li K-T, Morwood M, Pedriña LM, Piper PJ, Rabett RJ, Shooter P, van den Bergh G, West E, Wickler S, Yuan J, Cooper A, Dobney K (2007) Phylogeny and ancient DNA of Sus provides insights into neolithic expansion in island Southeast Asia and Oceania. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, vol 12, pp 4834–4839
Lesel R, Derenne Ph (1975) Introducing animals to Iles Kerguelen. Polar Rec 17:485–494
Long JL (2003) Introduced mammals of the world: their history, distribution and influence. C.S.I.R.O. Publishing, Australia
Matisoo-Smith E, Allen JS, Ladefoged TN, Roberts RM, Lambert DM (1997) Ancient DNA form Polynesian rats: extraction, amplification and sequence from single small bones. Electrophoresis 18:1534–1537
McGowan A (2000) On their own: towards an analysis of sealers’ sites on Heard Island. Papers Proc R Soc Tasman 133:61–70
Mills WJ (2003) Exploring polar frontiers: a historical encyclopaedia. ABC-CLIO, Inc., Santa Barbara
Moseley HN (1892) Notes by a naturalist. An account of observations made during the voyage of H.M.S. “Challenger”. Hazell, Watson and Viney, Ltd, London
O’May H (1978) Wooden hookers of Hobart Town and Whalers out of Van Diemans Land. T. J. Hughes, Government Printer, Tasmania
Pearson M, Stehberg R (2006) Nineteenth century sealing sites on Rugged Island, South Shetland Islands. Polar Rec 42:335–347
Robins JH, Matisoo-Smith E, Ross HA (2003) The origins of the feral pigs on the Auckland Islands. J Roy Soc N Z 33:561–569
Robins JH, Ross HA, Allen M, Matisoo-Smith E (2006) Sus bucculentus revisited. Nature 440:e7
Rubin J (2003) Train oil and snotters. Eating Antarctic wildlife foods. Gastronomica. J Food Culture 3:37–57
The New York Times (1882) Wrecked on a desert island. New York Times. March 31, 1882
Zarankin A, Senatore MX (2005) Archaeology in Antarctica: nineteenth-century capitalism expansion strategies. Int J Hist Archaeol 9:43–56
Acknowledgments
Dr. Estelle Lazer initially identified the jaw as that from a pig. Figure 1 produced by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
“The men (sealers) had biscuit, beans and pork…” Moseley p. 198 at Heard Island, Feb 1874.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van den Hoff, J., Burton, H. & Robins, J. A Sealers Midden Provides Evidence a Live Pig (Sus scrofa) was Taken Ashore at Heard Island During the “Elephanting” Industry (1855–1882). J Mari Arch 7, 223–230 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-012-9085-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-012-9085-x