Archaeological fieldwork on Jan Mayen, Norwegian Sea, August 13 - 25, 2014. Final report

The Royal Netherlands Navy invited scientists of the Willem Barents Polar Institute among others to take part in an expedition to the Arctic island of Jan Mayen in the Greenland Sea between August 13 and August 25, 2014. Among them was an archaeological team of the Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen. Their aim was to investigate changes to the island’s cultural heritage over the last 30 years by assessing the heavily eroding material remains of a 17th century whaling station in Kvalrossbukta and by conducting a walkover survey in as many additional bays as possible. They eventually spent three days in Kvalrossbukta and discovered that although threatened by the sea, many indicative remains may yet be found under a thick layer of loose sand that has slid down from the slopes above. They visited Sørbukta, Guineabukta, and Titeltbukta, and although a hint of structures was found in Titeltbukta supported by a handful of century-old Dutch bricks, these finds do not make for a convincing former whaling station at this location. Following their assessment, the team recommend a thorough desk-based assessment to be carried out followed by a timely rescue excavation in Kvalrossbukta