Ethnological Approach to Siberian Zoomorphs: A Search for Meaning and Implications for the Upper Paleolithic Evidence

Ethnological analogies derived from studies of recent environments and societies in Arctic and Subarctic regions of Siberia are generally being applied in archaeological interpretative models. The analogies prove to be inspiring, because each of them has the potential to enlarge the scope of static archaeological evidence by including dynamic aspects of social and symbolic systems within recent societies. Here, we analyze electronic databases and literature on zoomorphic and theriantropic figurines collected during the Jesup North Pacific expedition. Subsequently, the social value and mythological context that accompany specific zoomorphic themes were recorded. Some aspects of these paleoethnological implications are partially applicable to the Upper Paleolithic zoomorphs.