On the Hunt for Medieval Whales

On the Hunt for Medieval Whales
Author: Youri van den Hurk
Publisher: British Archaeological Reports Oxford Limited
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2020-08-27
Genre:
ISBN: 9781407357201

Medieval cetacean (whales, dolphins, andporpoises) exploitation has frequently been connected to various medievalsocieties, including the Basques, Norse, Normans, and Flemish. Primarily forthe ninth to the twelfth centuries AD, it has been argued that the symbolicsignificance of cetaceans surpassed their utilitarian value and that theirconsumption was restricted to the social elite. The extent to which activewhaling was practised remains unclear. The identification of zooarchaeologicalcetacean fragments to the species level is hard and as a result they arefrequently merely identified as 'whale', resulting in a poor understanding ofhuman-cetacean interaction in the past. Zooarchaeological research as part of this study has revealed thatmedieval cetacean exploitation was widespread and especially the harbourporpoise (Phocoena phocoena), common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiopstruncatus), and the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)were frequently targeted. The exploitation additionally seems to have oftenbeen restricted to the social elite.

On the Hunt for Medieval Whales

On the Hunt for Medieval Whales
Author: Youri van den Hurk
Publisher:
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2020
Genre: Marine mammal remains (Archaeology)
ISBN: 9781407357218

Medieval cetacean (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) exploitation has frequently been connected to various medieval societies, including the Basques, Norse, Normans, and Flemish. Primarily for the ninth to the twelfth centuries AD, it has been argued that the symbolic significance of cetaceans surpassed their utilitarian value and that their consumption was restricted to the social elite. The extent to which active whaling was practised remains unclear. The identification of zooarchaeological cetacean fragments to the species level is hard and as a result they are frequently merely identified as 'whale', resulting in a poor understanding of human-cetacean interaction in the past. Zooarchaeological research as part of this study has revealed that medieval cetacean exploitation was widespread, especially of the harbour porpoise, common bottlenose dolphin, and the North Atlantic right whale.

Whale Ships and Whaling

Whale Ships and Whaling
Author: George Francis Dow
Publisher: Salem, Mass. : Marine Research Society
Total Pages: 472
Release: 1925
Genre: Whales
ISBN:

Presents the story of the Austrian child-bride who, in the "safety" of a royal marriage, was swept up in the political furies of her time and paid with her life for the luxurious excesses associated with her court.

The Great Sperm Whale

The Great Sperm Whale
Author: Richard Ellis
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Total Pages: 400
Release: 2011-04-06
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0700617728

Over the past several decades, Richard Ellis has produced a remarkable body of work that has been called "magnificent" (Washington Post Book World), "masterful" (Scientific American), "magical" (Men's Journal), and a "dazzling tour de force" (Christian Science Monitor). Ellis's new book-a fascinating tour through the world of the sperm whale-will surely inspire more such praise for the author heralded by Publisher Weekly as "America's foremost writer on marine research." Written with Ellis's deep knowledge and trademark passion, verve, and wit-and illustrated with a wide array of images including his own signature artwork-his study covers the full spectrum of the sperm whale's existence from its prehistoric past to its current endangered existence. Ellis, as no one else can, illuminates the iconic impact of Physeter macrocephalus ("big-headed blower") on our history, environment, and culture, with a substantial nod to Herman Melville and Moby-Dick, the great novel that put the sperm whale (and whaling) on the literary map. Ranging far and wide, Ellis covers the sperm whale's evolution, ecology, biology, anatomy, behavior, social organization, intelligence, communications, migrations, diet, and breeding. He also devotes considerable space to the whale's hunting prowess, including its clashes with the giant squid, and to the history of the whaling industry that decimated its numbers during the last two centuries. He even includes a story about a beached juvenile he helped rescue, an event that provided scientists with one of their first opportunities to observe a sperm whale in the water and up close. Offering a rich tapestry for anyone with an interest in the marvels of ocean life, Ellis's book provides an indispensable guide to the life and times of one of the planet's most intelligent, elusive, and endangered species.

The Whale Road (The Oathsworn Series, Book 1)

The Whale Road (The Oathsworn Series, Book 1)
Author: Robert Low
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2011-02-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0007370415

DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW WITH THIS LIMITED-TIME DISCOUNT ON BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES. The first in the Oathsworn series, charting the adventures of a band of Vikings on the chase for the secret hoard of Attila the Hun.

North Atlantic Right Whales

North Atlantic Right Whales
Author: David W. Laist
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 461
Release: 2017-03-29
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1421420996

The fascinating story of North Atlantic right whales—from their evolutionary origin, through a thousand-year history of relentless pursuit by whalers, to ongoing efforts to rescue them from the brink of extinction. In the cold waters of the unforgiving North Atlantic Ocean, some of the heartiest humans of medieval days ventured out in search of whales. Through the centuries, people on both sides of the Atlantic became increasingly dependent on whale oil and other cetacean products. To meet this growing demand, whaling became ever more sophisticated and intense, leading to the collapse of what was once a seemingly inexhaustible supply of large cetaceans. Central to the whale's subsequent struggle for existence has been one species—the North Atlantic right whale. Conservationist David W. Laist now provides the first complete history of the North Atlantic right whale, from its earliest encounters with humans to its close brush with extinction, to its currently precarious yet hopeful status as a conservation icon. Favored by whalers because of their high yields of oil and superior baleen, these giants became known as "the right whale to hunt," and their numbers dwindled to a mere 100 individuals worldwide. Their dire status encouraged the adoption of a ban on hunting and a treaty that formed the International Whaling Commission. Recovery of the species, however, has proven elusive. Ship strikes and entanglement in commercial fishing gear have hampered herculean efforts to restore the population. Today, only about 500 right whales live along the US and Canadian Atlantic coasts—an improvement from the early twentieth century, but still a far cry from the thousands that once graced Atlantic waters. Laist's masterpiece features an incredible collection of photographs and artwork that give life to the fascinating history that unfolds in its pages. The result is a single volume that offers a comprehensive understanding of North Atlantic right whales, the role they played in the many cultures that hunted them, and our modern attempts to help them recover.

Odontocetes

Odontocetes
Author: Boris M. Culik
Publisher: UN
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2011
Genre: Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas
ISBN: 9783937429922

Toothed whales occur in a wide range of marine and freshwater habitats, from the Arctic to the tropics. Some species live in large river systems such as the Amazon, Ganges, Indus and Yangtze. This encyclopedia on all 72 species of toothed whales includes the most recent scientific findings on the distribution, migration, behaviour and threats to this group of whales.

Whales, Whaling, and Ocean Ecosystems

Whales, Whaling, and Ocean Ecosystems
Author: James A. Estes
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2006
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0520248848

"A must read for anyone interested in the ecology of whales, this timely and creative volume is sure to stimulate new research for years to come."—Annalisa Berta, San Diego State University

Studies in the Medieval Atlantic

Studies in the Medieval Atlantic
Author: B. Hudson
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 431
Release: 2012-06-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 1137062398

This collection of essays offers fresh analysis of topics in the exciting area of Atlantic World studies. Challenging standard assumptions, the essays advance the argument that the Atlantic Ocean was a region that encompassed ethnic and political boundaries, in which a sub-community shaped by culture and commerce arose.

The Book of Barely Imagined Beings

The Book of Barely Imagined Beings
Author: Caspar Henderson
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 448
Release: 2013-05-02
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 022604484X

“Caspar Henderson takes us on an eye-opening tour of real animals that no sane human could ever have invented.” —Frans de Waal, New York Times–bestselling author With The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Caspar Henderson offers readers a fascinating, beautifully produced modern-day menagerie. But whereas medieval bestiaries were often based on folklore and myth, the creatures that abound in Henderson’s book—from the axolotl to the zebrafish—are, with one exception, very much with us, albeit sometimes in depleted numbers. The Book of Barely Imagined Beings transports readers to a world of real creatures that seem as if they should be made up—that are somehow more astonishing than anything we might have imagined. The yeti crab, for example, uses its furry claws to farm the bacteria on which it feeds. The waterbear, meanwhile, is among nature’s “extreme survivors,” able to withstand a week unprotected in outer space. These and other strange and surprising species invite readers to reflect on what we value—or fail to value—and what we might change. A powerful combination of wit, cutting-edge natural history, and philosophical meditation, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is an infectious and inspiring celebration of the sheer ingenuity and variety of life in a time of crisis and change. “The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is one that Pliny would have envied, Darwin applauded, and Borges relished . . . In these days of doom and gloom, I can think of nothing more rejoicing than Caspar Henderson’s magical book.” —Alberto Manguel, author of A History of Reading “Magnificent, bravura, beautiful and astoundingly interesting.” —The Sunday Times “Spell-binding, brilliantly executed, extraordinary.” —The Guardian