Dear colleagues,
The following paper has recently been published in the journal Anthrozoos:
"Medieval and Early Modern Whaling in Portugal"
Abstract
Mainland Portugal is not renowned for having been a whaling nation of
significance. However, preliminary studies have brought to light
enough historical references to suggest that whaling occurred from at
least the 13th century, and the present work identifies 38 historical
sources documenting whale use or whaling on the Portuguese coast
between 1201 and 1728. A peak of whale-related sources occurred during
the 13th and 14th centuries, and almost all Portuguese accounts are
contemporary to those found from the French and Spanish Basque
countries, such that the beginning of the whaling activity seems to be
coeval. No geographical cluster of whaling activities can be
established?they seem to have been unevenly scattered along the entire
coastline. Nor can a chronological north-south movement of coastal
whaling activities be discerned. The geographical and chronological
patterns give support to the assumption that whaling was not
introduced to Portugal by the Basques, who are known to have spread
westward from the French Labourd (11th century), via Golf of Biscay,
to Asturias, and southward to Galicia (14th century). Rather,
Portuguese whale use seems to have originated independently of Basque
influence. Several of the sources specify "black whales" as the target
species. This is consistent with modern knowledge about the
distribution and migration patterns of North Atlantic right whales
during Basque medieval and early modern whaling. The Portuguese
sources are not clear as to numbers of whales taken, nor to the
whaling technology used, but the activity was sufficiently well
organized and developed to warrant the levying of tithes in the feudal
system of 13th-century Portugal.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/berg/anthroz/2011/00000024/00000003/art00005
For more information about this historical whaling research please
contact me: [email protected] or [email protected]
Regards,
Cristina.
--
Escola de Mar
Edifício ICAT - Campus da FCUL
Campo Grande 1749-016 Lisboa
Portugal
+351966552928
www.escolademar.pt
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