Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins
Abstract This paper presents the first detailed record of Paleoeskimo occupation history of Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, the traditional Paleoeskimo “core area.” Rather than continuous, stable occupations from approximately 4000–1000 B.P. traditionally assumed for the core area, the region ha...
Published in: | American Antiquity |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600002547 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 2024-06-23T07:49:34+00:00 Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600002547 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms American Antiquity volume 79, issue 2, page 249-276 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 journal-article 2014 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 2024-05-29T08:09:54Z Abstract This paper presents the first detailed record of Paleoeskimo occupation history of Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, the traditional Paleoeskimo “core area.” Rather than continuous, stable occupations from approximately 4000–1000 B.P. traditionally assumed for the core area, the region has undergone a series of demographic oscillations, including several instances of abandonment of key areas, most notably Igloolik. The Foxe Basin demographic trends are reminiscent of Paleoeskimo “boom and bust” cycles recognized elsewhere, but show no consistent chronological pattern either within Foxe Basin or inter-regionally. Equally important, our results bear on the critical question of the Pre-Dorset to Dorset transition. Rather than having been a gradual in situ process centered within the core area, the demographic patterns, including the abrupt and widespread appearance of semi-subterranean dwellings during earliest Dorset, are consistent with newly arrived populations from outside of Foxe Basin. While there is no obvious “parent” culture to Dorset within the Eastern Arctic, it is suggested that a Western Arctic origin, specifically Norton Culture, invoking to some extent Jorgen Meldgaard’s “smell of the forest”, may have played a significant role. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Foxe Basin Igloolik Nunavut Cambridge University Press Arctic Canada Foxe Basin ENVELOPE(-77.918,-77.918,65.931,65.931) Igloolik ENVELOPE(-81.800,-81.800,69.378,69.378) Nunavut American Antiquity 79 2 249 276 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract This paper presents the first detailed record of Paleoeskimo occupation history of Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, the traditional Paleoeskimo “core area.” Rather than continuous, stable occupations from approximately 4000–1000 B.P. traditionally assumed for the core area, the region has undergone a series of demographic oscillations, including several instances of abandonment of key areas, most notably Igloolik. The Foxe Basin demographic trends are reminiscent of Paleoeskimo “boom and bust” cycles recognized elsewhere, but show no consistent chronological pattern either within Foxe Basin or inter-regionally. Equally important, our results bear on the critical question of the Pre-Dorset to Dorset transition. Rather than having been a gradual in situ process centered within the core area, the demographic patterns, including the abrupt and widespread appearance of semi-subterranean dwellings during earliest Dorset, are consistent with newly arrived populations from outside of Foxe Basin. While there is no obvious “parent” culture to Dorset within the Eastern Arctic, it is suggested that a Western Arctic origin, specifically Norton Culture, invoking to some extent Jorgen Meldgaard’s “smell of the forest”, may have played a significant role. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. |
spellingShingle |
Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
author_facet |
Savelle, James M. Dyke, Arthur S. |
author_sort |
Savelle, James M. |
title |
Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
title_short |
Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
title_full |
Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
title_fullStr |
Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
title_full_unstemmed |
Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Foxe Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins |
title_sort |
paleoeskimo occupation history of foxe basin, arctic canada: implications for the core area model and dorset origins |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600002547 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-77.918,-77.918,65.931,65.931) ENVELOPE(-81.800,-81.800,69.378,69.378) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Foxe Basin Igloolik Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Foxe Basin Igloolik Nunavut |
genre |
Arctic Foxe Basin Igloolik Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Arctic Foxe Basin Igloolik Nunavut |
op_source |
American Antiquity volume 79, issue 2, page 249-276 ISSN 0002-7316 2325-5064 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.2.249 |
container_title |
American Antiquity |
container_volume |
79 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
249 |
op_container_end_page |
276 |
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1802640048811671552 |