Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 26

Analysis of Animal Remains from the Old Fort Point Site, Northern Alberta

by Anne Meachem Rick

Fish

A total of 2,251 pieces of fish bone were submitted for faunal analysis. Of these, 638 (28.3 per cent) were identifiable and represent at least 76 individuals of six genera and species. The remaining 1,613 bones (71.6 per cent) were unidentifiable and consisted mainly of ribs, other post-cranial elements and poorly preserved cranial fragments.

Coregonus species. Whitefish or cisco

Fifty-five bones from the skull, pectoral and pelvic girdles of this genus were identified. The bones were found in the central room, the sub-floor pit in the north room and outside the building (including 15 fragments from the northernmost of the southwest pits). The MNI is 11.

At least two and perhaps as many as four species of the genus Coregonus may inhabit Lake Athabasca, depending on the way in which the genus is subdivided. Because taxonomy of the genus is unclear and because skeletal reference material was limited, no attempt has been made to classify bones below generic level. However, the size of the bones indicates that they may have come mostly from whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) rather than cisco (C. artedii), a smaller species.

A related fish, the round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum), also is found in Lake Athasbaca. Possibly a few broken bones identified as Coregonus belong to this species instead, but no whole bones could be referred to round whitefish.

Whitefish — "attihawmeg, or poisson blanc of the voyageurs" — was the major food fish produced by the fall and winter gill-net fisheries on Lake Athabasca. Many thousands were caught in a good season and provided most of the food for both men and dogs from October until March. Whitefish are said to be highly nutritious; men and dogs in the northwest who subsisted almost wholly on whitefish were able to keep in reasonably good health throughout the winter (McPhail and Lindsey 1970:84, 94).

Fish taken during fall and winter fishing were preserved by simply freezing them (Krause 1976: 37). Whitefish caught at other seasons were split and dried or hung by sticks through the gills; the techniques of smoking and salting seem to have been little used in the area (Krause 1976: 37). Richardson (1836: 519-20) mentions cooking methods: "The most usual method of cooking it in the fur countries is by boiling, so as to form an excellent white soup; but it is extremely good when fried, and especially if enveloped in batter."

Salvelinus namaycush. Lake trout

Five jaw and three pelvic girdle fragments of lake trout were found, six in the central room and one in the north room sub-floor pit (the provenience of one bone is unknown).

Lake trout, which can grow to a weight of almost 100 pounds, were important in the diet of the fur traders. They were caught in gill nets and also by hook and line; March was considered the best month for trout fishing (Richardson 1836: 520; Krause 1976: 8).

The MNI here is three on the basis of two left articulars and a large dentary which could not belong to the same fish as the articulars.

Esox lucius Northern pike, Jackfish

After walleye, pike was the most abundant fish at the site both in numbers of identified bones (119) and MNI (13). Pike bones were found in all four rooms as well as outside the building. The sub-floor pit in the north room, the north pit, the northwest pit and the northernmost of the southwest pits all contained bones of this species: Skull elements and pectoral and pelvic girdle bones were identified.

Northern pike, some weighing up to 40 pounds, were caught in gill nets by 18th- and 19th-century Lake Athabasca fishermen (Krause 1976: 7, 16). The flesh was esteemed at the posts and was of good quality throughout the winter in contrast to whitefish and "perch" which tended to turn soft after early December (Krause 1976: 7). Richardson (1836: 520) says of this fish,

The pike is of more importance to the inhabitants of the fur countries, from the readiness with which it takes a bait at all seasons of the year, than from its excellence as an article of diet, for, in that respect, it is inferior to all the trout tribe.

Six pike bones show knife cut marks. Two left and two right cleithra have cuts laterally at the upper end which probably represent attempts to cut off the head behind the gills. One left preoperculum shows a dorsolateral cut of unknown purpose (removal of the cheek?) and a right maxilla is cut medially.

Catostomus species. White or Long nose sucker

Twenty-two bones, including skull and pectoral girdle elements as well as a last caudal vertebra, were referred to this genus. Bones were found in the north, central and southeast rooms, outside the building and in two pits: the sub-floor pit in the north room and the northernmost of the southwest pits. At least four fish were present according to the MNI count.

Both the white sucker, Catostomus commersoni, and the long-nose sucker, C. catostomus, are found in Lake Athabasca. Bones were identified only to genus because of lack of adequate comparative material for these two similar species.

Suckers, sometimes called "red carp" in the early literature, were caught in gill nets at the fur-trade posts. Although suckers were not considered particularly good food, their abundance made them useful when more preferred species were scarce. Richardson (1836: 520) notes that suckers "are all well adapted for making soup."

Lota lota. Burbot

Four bones from the head and pectoral girdle of at least one burbot were excavated from the central room.

The burbot (known also in the past as "methy" or "loche") was taken in gill nets or on hooks, probably more by accident than intent as the flesh was usually considered inferior to that of forms such as whitefish and trout. Preble (1908: 514-15) notes that "It is so little esteemed as a food fish that even the dogs will not eat it unless starving, but the liver and roe are considered delicacies." Richardson (1836: 520-21) also had a poor opinion of burbot flesh but he describes an interesting culinary use of roe: "Its roe..., makes good bread when beaten up with a little flour; and even when cooked alone, it forms cakes that are very palatable as tea bread, though rather difficult of digestion." At least two modern authors (McPhail and Lindsey 1970: 300) attest to the edibility of burbot meat: "From cold water, or in winter, however, burbot meat is white, firm, and delicately flavoured and is attracting an increasing body of sportsmen."

Stizostedion vitreum. Walleye

The walleye was by far the commonest fish in the faunal remains; 430 (67.3 per cent) of the 638 identified fish bones and 44 (57.8 per cent) of the 76 individuals at the site belong to this species. Bones were found in all rooms of the building as well as outside, and were present in the sub-floor pit in the north room and in the north, northwest and northernmost southwest pits. Pectoral and pelvic girdle bones and many skull bones are present.

Curiously, Krause's report on the Fort Chipewyan fisheries never mentions this species by any of its better-known common names — walleyed pike, pikeperch, pickerel and doré — so that there is no clear historical reference there to walleye use at the Athabasca posts. Krause (1976: 7, 10) does mention perch as being caught by the Hudson's Bay Company men in the Old Fort Point area during 1791-92 and 1802-03; this may refer to the walleye rather than to the yellow perch, Perca flavescens, which also occurs in Lake Athabasca. Preble (1908: 514) says that the walleye "is rather common north to Great Slave Lake. It is taken in numbers in Athabasca River, Athabasca Lake, and Slave River, and is rather common in Great Slave Lake."

Walleye feed year-round and thus can be taken on hooks in winter. At Old Fort Point probably many were gill-netted.