Abstract

Peter C. Dawson and Richard M. Levy
A Three-Dimensional Model of a Thule Inuit Whale Bone House
Journal of Field Archaeology 30 (2005) 443--455

The semi-subterranean whale bone house is one of the most distinctive features of Thule Inuit culture in the Canadian Arctic (A.D. 1000--1600). An understanding of how these remarkable dwellings were designed and built has been hindered by measurement and recording techniques restricted to two dimensions. Determining how the unusual shapes and sizes of whale bone elements would have influenced the strength of the roof frame and the volume of the house's interior requires a three-dimensional point of view. We constructed a three-dimensional computer model of such a house by first employing laser scanning technology to create a digital model of a North Atlantic Right Whale skeleton on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. Individual elements from the digital model were used in combination with archaeological data to construct an accurate representation of a Thule whale bone dwelling. Constructing a model in a virtual world is analogous to building one in the real world. Consequently, we gained a deeper understanding of the design principles used by Thule builders, and conclude that the development of an architectural tradition based upon whale bone may be among the greatest technological achievements in Arctic prehistory.

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