Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 09:52
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Kuril Islands Biocomplexity 08

Dr. E

    in the august 17 jounal what do you think they used  albatrosses for? 

    Did they use them for food or for some other purpose?

Thu, 08/21/2008 - 14:59

KBP Team

To that I would have to say "yes," and "yes!"Although I do not have any direct evidence of it (like distinctive patterning to cut marks on bones that would indicate specific butchering patterns), I am pretty sure that the albatrosses would have been used for food. With a wing-span of over 2 m, they are among the largest of all birds (especially among those that can fly, unlike ostriches or emus). And, since they mostly eat squid (sometimes they will eat fish, but only very rarely), their meat is probably quite oil-rich. So anyone who makes a habit of eating albatross meat will get both protein and fat, which are, of course, both important components of a balanced diet.
But bird bones in general, and albatross bones, in particular, were also highly prized as raw material for making tools. Birds have a well-earned reputation for having light-weight skeletal systems. But even though most bird bones are thin-walled and hollow relative to mammal bones, the wall of the bone itself is quite dense. That means that bird bone can be cut and ground and shaped into a wide variety of tools that need to be thin and strong (see photo).
Bird Bone Artifacts from Rasshua
 

A selection of bird bone artifacts from the Rasshua excavations this summer. The two slender bones on the left are probably albatross radius bones, and have been ground into a point on one end to make an awl, or leather punch. The two bones at the top of the photo are albatross humerus bones, and have been cut, polished, and decorated.
They were likely used as cases for needles like the ones in the center of the photo (made from unidentified bird bone). Apologies for not having a tripod available for a crisp photo! I will re-photograph the artifacts when we return to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk!
I am unfamiliar with what traditional uses of albatross feathers might exist out there. But I would not be at all surprised if there were some very specific uses to which they have been put. In the previous "Ask the Team" response (MOST IMPORTANT FINDING FROM BONES AND SHELLS) I mentioned the Ainu Creek site, where eagle bones were a conspicuous component of the assemblage. In that particular case, it is possible that the cultural use of the bones and feathers was more important than the food value of the eagles that were hunted.
--Dr. E

Fri, 08/22/2008 - 16:37

Alex Stedman

Hey Dr.E that was my question I am Alex 

Sat, 08/23/2008 - 19:21

KBP Team

Thanks, Alex.  It was a great question!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you at Whatcom Day Academy in September!--Dr E. 

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 15:31

KBP Team

AlexHere is another picture of the albatross bones that is a little easier to see since I used my tripod to take it.

 Pretty coo, huh?
-- Dr. E.