The ancient use ofPinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) inner bark by Sami people in northern Sweden, related to cultural and ecological factors

Abstract

Abstract.A multidisciplinary study of use by Sami people ofPinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) inner bark was performed in northern Sweden. We combined linguistic, historical and archaeological records with ecological data collected from field studies to investigate important cultural and ecological factors associated with previous use of bark. Our data from bark peeled trees at 313 sites were used to describe patterns in space and time in the landscape. Sites with bark peeled trees were mainly found in the central and northern part of Lapiand (65~ '-68~ Large numbers of barked trees were found in undisturbed forests in national parks and reserves but few were found in forests under commercial management. The dendroecological analysis revealed a continous use of inner bark from A.D. 1450 to 1890. Large sheets of bark were taken from trees in the spring, prepared and stored as a staple food resource. Inner bark was eaten fresh, dried or roasted. Smaller bark peelings were used for the wrapping of sinews. The cessation of bark use in the 19th century was driven by several factors, but the availability of other products that could replace traditional use of bark was specifically important. The previous common and varied use of bark, the great age of Sami terminology and a possible association with archaeological remains of potential great age indicate that peeled bark was used long before the historic period. Our study also focused on the ongoing loss of culturally-modified trees in forests outside protected areas.

Plants in a “Sea of Relationships”: Networks of Plants and Fishing in Makkovik, Nunatsiavut (Labrador, Canada)

“…Barkpeelings taken for food were larger, about 1 meter in length, while the single suotna-guolmas were made in two sizes, a smaller and a larger type. The smaller were about 35 cm and the larger about 55 cm in length (Zackrisson et al 2000).…”

“…The function of the inner bark is to transport photosynthates from the needles to the cambial zone, where radial growth of the tree takes place. The use of tree inner bark as food by native peoples is a well known and well documented practice throughout the entire circumpolar region, including regions such as Fennoscandia (Itkonen 1948, Zackrisson et al 2000, Bergman et al 2004a, Sjögren & Kirchhefer 2012, Eastern Siberia (Middendorff 1875, Argounova-Low 2009 and North America (Gottesfeld 1992, Mobley & Eldridge 1992, Prince 2001, Turner 1988a, Mobley & Lewis 2009, Turner et al 2009, Josefsson et al 2012). North American groups further south in New Mexico are also known to have practiced this resource use (Swetnam 1984, Kaye & Swetnam 1999.…”

“…Because the way in which the two groups harvest inner bark are very different, it has been suggested that the practices were culturally distinct, though they were taking place during the same period (ibid, Korhonen 2000). The farmers usually felled entire trees before harvesting while the Sami harvested standing living trees (Zackrisson et al 2000, Bergman et al 2004a. The Sami had a practice of leaving a strip of live cambium, at least three fingers in width, on the back of the trunk to ensure the tree's survival.…”

“…We also know that the Sami used the inner bark to make a kind of wrapping, by folding the inner bark which hardened when dried and formed a rolled up case (Zackrisson et al 2000). These wrappings were used to store reindeer sinews, which were prevented from rotting due to the antiseptic properties of the inner bark.…”

The use of wild plants as food in pre-industrial Sweden

“…The bark prepared in that way was sweet and eagerly eaten by the Saami. This kind of harvesting pine bark has been documented from late medieval times until the 19th century in Sweden [60].…”