Jan CHOCHOROWSKI W>prawy Geograficzne na Spitsbergen UMCS, Lublin, 1995 Institute of Archaeology,

Jagiellonian University, Gołębia 1 31-007 Kraków, POLAND

Marek E. JASIŃSKI University of Trondheim/ Vitenskapsmuseet, Department of Archaeology, 7004 Trondheim, NORWAY

DISCOVERY OF AN ENGLISH COIN IN HABENICHTBUKTA, SVALBARD

One of the main tasks carried out by the Norwegian-Polish Archaeological Expedition in 1988 on the west coast of Edge Island (Svalbard Archipelago), was a detailed documentation of site 1 in Habenichtbukta (Habenicht Bay). The site consists of several objects belonging to two of the major phases of Svalbard history: the period of western European whaling in the 17th century, and the period of Russian walrus hunting in the 17-19th centuries.

The fieldwork included the recording of existing archaeological objects and stray finds on the surface. Besides the gathering of documentation (Chochorow-ski & Jasiński 1990a: 70-72, 74-75; Figs. 17-23, 31-38, 1990b: 58-80; Jasiński 1991: 159-161, 1993), the observations enabled reliable identification of Russian hunting station relics, including the buildings described by Keilhau (1831: 151-156) and von Löwenigh (1989: 122-123): "Russisk Etablishment paa Öst-Spitsbergen" (see Chochorowski & Jasiński 1990a: 76-81).1 The station was one of the largest in Svalbard and was used by Russian (Pomor) hunters from 1791 to 1826 (Chochorowski 1993).

Although the existing sources make the historical interpretation of this Russian station easier, the evaluation of the character, ethnic affiliation and chronology of whaling station remains in Habenichtbukta was entirely depen-dent on examination of the site by archaeological methods. Some light was thrown onto this problem by a coin found by the authors in 1988 among U, V

1 An attempt to identify the "Russian settlement" visited by В. M. Keilhau with the station in Ekrolhamna (Zavyalov and Chernosvitov 1993: 111) is completely pointless. The station in Ekrolhamnais only briefly mentioned: "with a larger number of dilapidating houses" (Keilhau 1831: 158), found 1 /4 (?!) mile northwest of the settlement in which Keilhau and his companions stayed (i. e. from Habenichtbukta).

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and M objects in the vicinity of bedrock outcrops (Fig. I)2. Its recognition was possible only after its conservation at the Metallography Laboratory in the Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University3. The coin was covered with a thick copper patina which is common where there is strong salinity close to the coast. At first sight it therefore gave the impression of being an inconspicuous metal disc.

The coin proved to be a "copper" 1/4 English penny, a so-called "Rose farthing", dating from the reign of Charles I (1625-1649)4. The obverse reveals a crown with two sceptres and an inscription: "CAROLUS DG MAG BRI" (Fig. 2). The reverse shows a rose below the crown and a fragment of a second inscription: "FRAN [E] T HIB [REX]". The complete legend should be: "CAROLUS DEI GRATIA MAGNE BRITTANIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX" (Seaby 1969: 178, item 2539).

Coins are rarely found in archaeological material in Svalbard. The oldest one comes from the studies made by Tegengren in Midterhuken in Bellsund in 1958 (Tegengren 1962: 317-318; Guttormsen 1985:48). That coin, with the inscription "ZEELANDIA 1619", was found among the remains of a homestead in the Dutch whaling station (Guttormsen 1985: 69). Its presence is evidence of the return of Dutch whalers to Bellsund after their ships were driven out of the area by Thomas Edge the year before (1618) (Conway 1906: 107-109), as confirmed by archival data (Hacquebord 1988: 155-156).

The richest coin finds from whaling sites were made during excavations in Smeerenburg (Hacquebord 1984: 189-190, Fig. 56). Among them are Frisian coins from 1617 and 1619, Zealand coins from 1626 and French coins, including one from 1595 from the reign of King Henry IV and another from Rethel in northern France from 1634.

Some coins have also been found in ruins of Russian hunting stations. Tegengren (1962: 319) mentioned a Russian copper coin from 1751 (the reign of Empress Elizabeth), discovered in Trygghamna. A copper copeck from 1749 was found in Russekeila 2 (Ovsyannikov & Starkov 1982: 74; 1985-1986, Fig. on p. 123). A Russian coin with the date "1768" was found during excavations in Ekrolhamna (Zavyalov and Chernosvitov 1993: 115, Fig. 4:4).

Coin finds are not always reliable indicators for determining the chronology and ethnic affiliation of archaeological sites. However, ours is a minor, causal coin which would rarely be in "long" circulation and would not be involved in foreign monetary systems (markets). It therefore seems to allow us to associate the relics of the whaling station in Habenichtbukta with the English whalers

2 Few surface finds have been made at this station because it has been heavily overgrown by tundra vegetation.

3 The authors are grateful to Marcin Biborski MA for conserving the coin. 4 The authors are grateful to Bożena Reyman-Wal czak MA from the Archaeological Museum in

Cracow for identifying the coin.

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and to date it to the second quarter of the 17th century. This dating is confirmed by the pipes, produced in 1620-1630, found on the surface of the site (Chochorowski & Jasiński 1990a: 72).

Identification of the station in Habenichtbukta with the apparent historical evidence of whaling activity is far more complicated. There is no doubt that the English dominated the hunting grounds around Edgeoya. The southern border of the island was marked as "Onbekende cust" (unknown coast) on the Dutch map made by Joris Carolus as early as 1614 (Schilder 1988: 39, Figs. 18-19). However, following Thomas Edge's voyage in 1616 (Conway 1906: 90-91), the English had much better knowledge of the southern and western coasts of Edgeoya, as can be seen from a set of Dutch and English maps (Conway 1906: 332-333, 335, 339; Schilder 1988, Figs. 16-22, 26), and particularly from what is referred to as Edge's map from 1625 (Fig. 3).

Whalers from Hull are believed to have played a special role in utilising the hunting grounds near Edgeoya (Conway 1906: 129). To break the monopoly of Londoners from the Muscovy Company they searched for new hunting grounds and stations. Their activity was particularly intense in 1626 when, together with partners from York, they sent 9 ships under the command of R. Prestwood and R. Perkins to the Spitsbergen hunting grounds, to a place called "Whale Head" in Bellsund5 (Conway 1906: 142-144). After driving away the Londoners, the fleet destroyed the station equipment of the Muscovy Company in Bellsund and founded their own station in "Bottle Cove" (Bellsund).

Sir Martin Conway (1906: 147, 364) mainly associated the activity of the whalers from Hull in the Edgeoya region with the station in "Duckes Cove". It was mentioned in the English official list of stations from 1657 (Conway 1906: 367-Appendix). According to Conway, "Dukes Cove" is the present Disko Bay on the west coast of Edgeoy a called "Dusko" on the Dutch maps, (Schilder 1988, Fig. 26), or Gothavika, a small bay on the south side of Russebukta (Conway 1906:364). Conway (1906: 368) identified the station in Hunting Bay, included in the above-mentioned list, with Diskobukta (Disco Bay) on the west coast of Edgeoya.

The archaeological survey of the west coast of Ed geoy a has not, however, succeeded in revealing traces of whaling stations in Discobukta (Chochorowski and Jasiński 1990a, Fig. 17). Mapping on this part of the coast is difficult because

5 Conway (1906: 142) associates "Whale Head" with the present Recherchefjorden stating that a place with this name is not marked on any old map. The name was first used on "Edge's map" (Schilder 1988: Figs. 16, 22, 26) for the southernmost promontory on the west coast of Edgeoya (Kvalpynten), which is about 10 km (!) from Habenichtbukta. The question is whether this is an accidental misinterpretation of the sources or a confusion of facts. The ships from Hull and York may have sailed to Bellsund and "Whale Head" at the same time. The numerical strength of the fleet (9 ships) makes this quite possible. The establishment of the station in Habenichtbukta may also result from that.

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of an extensive system of marine terraces. One such terrace containing fragments of Russian (Pomor) ships is, in places, more than 1 km from the present shoreline. These accumulations may have covered the remains of whaling stations and other relics.

So far, the Habenichtbukta station on the west coast of Edgeoya is the only place with known whaling objects (stoves, houses, etc.). With 7 shelters built of stone and 7 stoves (including that on site 2 (Fig. 4) located about 250 m north of whaling objects shown on Fig. 1), the station in Habenichtbukta is undoubtedly the largest one in Svalbard. A system of lookouts around the station confirms that it was an independent unit (Chochorowski & Marc 1989: 240). Hence, Duckes Cove in the English list from 1657 may be Habenichtbukta. Only the location of Deicrowes Bay and other places mentioned in the list and identified by Conway (1906: 368) with the Edgeoya station is clear. Undoubtedly, this is Deicrowes Sund on Thomas Edge's map (Deve Bay on the Dutch maps) (Conway 1906: 335, 339, 364), i. e. the present Tjuvfjorden with many whaling posts, among others on Delitschoya and Ziegleroya (see e.g. Albrethsen 1989: 45-46)

According to the English list, "Dukes Cove" was situated north of "Deicrowes Bay and others" and Hunting Bay was even farther north. However, "Pudding Bay to the eastwards" and "Potty Harbor" must have been situated south of Deicrowes Bay, the first farther east, but the other, as suggested by Conway (1906: 368), beside "Wybe Hans water" i.e. Storfjorden. The name Duckes Cove is also suggestive as it corresponds to the conditions of a small, sheltered bay, like Habenichtbukta, compared with the names of "Deicrowes Bay" (= Tjuvijorden). In a way, it refers also to the name "Potty Harbor", if this is compared with the term "Greene harboure (= Gronfjorden) used by the English. Without a complete archaeological survey of the whaling remains on the coast of Edgeoya and its vicinity, closer identification of individual relics with the historical names found in the sources is not possible.

REFERENCES

Albrethsen S. E., 1989: Archaeological investigations of 17th century whaling on Svalbard. Acta Borealia 1-1989: 43-51.

Chochorowski J., 1993: Problems of the dendrochronology of Russian hunting stations on Spitsbergen. Gunneria. In press.

Chochorowski J., Jasiński M. E., 1990a: Archaeology on Svalbard. - survey work 1988, Tromura, Kulturhistorie nr 18.

Chochorowski J., Jasiński M. E., 1990b: Norwegian-Polish archaeological exploration of Svalbard, 1998. Recherches Archeologiques de 1988: 43-86.

Chochorowski J., Marc A., 1989: Struktura i organizacja stacji wielorybniczej w Habenichtbukta (Edgeoya) - dane archeologiczne. XVI Sympozjum Polarne. Dorobek i perspektywy Polskich Badań Polarnych, Toruń: 238-240.

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Conway M., 1906: No Man's Land. Cambridge. Guttormsen H., 1985: Svalbards forhistorie. Manuscript. Hacquebord L., 1984: Smeerenburg. Het verblijf van Nederlandse walvisvaarders op de westkust van

Spitsbergen in de 17e eeuw. Groningen. Hacquebord L., 1988: Schepen naar Spitsbergen en Jan Mayen warvan vermeldingen in de archiven

in Nederland zijn gevonden. In: Hacquebord, L. Vroom, W. (eds.) Walvisvaart in de Gouden Eeuw. Amsterdam - Groningen: 153-164.

Jasiński M. E., 1991: Russian Hunters on Svalbard and the Polar Winter. Arctic, Journal of the Arctic Institute of North America, volume 44, number 2: 156-162.

Jasiński M. E., 1993: Pomors in Grumant. Archaelogical studies of Russian hunting stations in Svalbard. Universitetet i Tromso.

Keilhau В. M., 1831: Reise i Ost- og Vest-Finmarken, samt til Beeren-Eiland og Spitsbergen. Christiana.

Lowenigh B. von, 1989: Lowenighs Reisenotizen. In: Nordlich von Europa. Reisen deutschsp-rachiger Forscher nach Grönland, Spitzbergen und anderen Inseln der Arktis zwischen 1760 und 1912. Berlin: 119-124.

Ovsyannikov О. V., Starkov V. F., 1982: Robota sovetskoj archeologicheskoj ekspeditsji na archipelage Spitsbergen. Priroda i khazjajstvo Severa, 10: 72-86.

Ovsyannikov О. V., Starkov V. F., 1985-1986: Russernesarkeologiskeaktivitetrra 1978-80. Svalbard Boka, 1985-1986. Tromso: 121-133.

Schilder G., 1988: Spitsbergen in de Spiegel van de kartografie. Een verkenuing van de ontdekking en kartering. In: Hacquebord, L. Vroom, W. (eds.) Walvisvaart in de Gouden Eeuw. Amsterdam - Groningen: 30-48.

Seaby P., 1969: Standard Catalogue of British Coins. London. Tegengren H., 1962: Der Handel mit Walrosszahnen und die russische Fangststationen auf

Spitzbergen im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert. Deutsches Jahrbuch fur Volkskunde, 8/II: 312-337. Zavyalov V. I., Chernosvitov P. Y., 1993: The Pomors' site Ekrolhamna. XX Polar Symposium.

Lublin: 11-120.

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Fig. 2. A farthing from the reign of Charles I (1625-1649) found in Habenichtbukta. A. the obverse, B. the reverse

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