Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach
Qikirtajuaq is a long island facing the Inuit village of Akulivik on the northeastern coast of Hudson Bay (Canada) that is rich in archaeological sites. Kangiakallak-1 (JeGn-2), one of the main sites on this island, is a large multicomponent site that includes Dorset and Thule Inuit winter houses. T...
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ftoskarbordeaux:oai:oskar-bordeaux.fr:20.500.12278/32616 2023-05-15T16:35:30+02:00 Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach BHIRY, Najat MARGUERIE, Dominique WEETALUKTUK, Tommy DESROSIERS, Pierre M. TODISCO, Dominique DESROCHES BOURGON, Myosotis AOUSTIN, David 2021 https://oskar-bordeaux.fr/handle/20.500.12278/32616 https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12515 en eng Wiley 0300-9483 https://oskar-bordeaux.fr/handle/20.500.12278/32616 doi:10.1111/bor.12515 Sciences de l'environnement/Biodiversité et Ecologie Article de revue 2021 ftoskarbordeaux https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12515 2021-05-11T22:29:35Z Qikirtajuaq is a long island facing the Inuit village of Akulivik on the northeastern coast of Hudson Bay (Canada) that is rich in archaeological sites. Kangiakallak-1 (JeGn-2), one of the main sites on this island, is a large multicomponent site that includes Dorset and Thule Inuit winter houses. This study documents the dynamics of palaeoenvironmental conditions in the successive occupations of the Kangiakallak-1 settlement based on plant macrofossils, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses and archaeological research. The data indicate that Dorset inhabitants constructed their dwelling at about 772 cal. a BP. The site was reused by the Thule Inuit a few decades later, starting at about 671 cal. a BP. Thus, Kangiakallak-1 is one of the few sites, at least in Nunavik (northern Quebec, Canada), that were rapidly reoccupied by the Thule Inuit after the departure of the Dorset inhabitants, which indicates a possible overlap between the two cultures in the Akulivik region. The palaeoecological data show that both Dorset and Thule inhabitants left clear footprints at the local scale in the form of several nitrophilous species that became established in and near the houses and persisted over a long period. The deposition of domestic waste (including bone fragments, skin, burnt fat and charcoal fragments) inside the subterranean dwellings fertilized the soil and led to the growth of unique nitrophilous plants. These changes transformed the houses into exceptional floristic refuges. Other/Unknown Material Hudson Bay inuit Smith Island Nunavik OSKAR Bordeaux (Open Science Knowledge ARchive) Hudson Bay Nunavik Canada Hudson Long Island Smith Island ENVELOPE(-62.520,-62.520,-62.981,-62.981) Akulivik ENVELOPE(-78.199,-78.199,60.801,60.801) Boreas 50 3 826 843 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OSKAR Bordeaux (Open Science Knowledge ARchive) |
op_collection_id |
ftoskarbordeaux |
language |
English |
topic |
Sciences de l'environnement/Biodiversité et Ecologie |
spellingShingle |
Sciences de l'environnement/Biodiversité et Ecologie BHIRY, Najat MARGUERIE, Dominique WEETALUKTUK, Tommy DESROSIERS, Pierre M. TODISCO, Dominique DESROCHES BOURGON, Myosotis AOUSTIN, David Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
topic_facet |
Sciences de l'environnement/Biodiversité et Ecologie |
description |
Qikirtajuaq is a long island facing the Inuit village of Akulivik on the northeastern coast of Hudson Bay (Canada) that is rich in archaeological sites. Kangiakallak-1 (JeGn-2), one of the main sites on this island, is a large multicomponent site that includes Dorset and Thule Inuit winter houses. This study documents the dynamics of palaeoenvironmental conditions in the successive occupations of the Kangiakallak-1 settlement based on plant macrofossils, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses and archaeological research. The data indicate that Dorset inhabitants constructed their dwelling at about 772 cal. a BP. The site was reused by the Thule Inuit a few decades later, starting at about 671 cal. a BP. Thus, Kangiakallak-1 is one of the few sites, at least in Nunavik (northern Quebec, Canada), that were rapidly reoccupied by the Thule Inuit after the departure of the Dorset inhabitants, which indicates a possible overlap between the two cultures in the Akulivik region. The palaeoecological data show that both Dorset and Thule inhabitants left clear footprints at the local scale in the form of several nitrophilous species that became established in and near the houses and persisted over a long period. The deposition of domestic waste (including bone fragments, skin, burnt fat and charcoal fragments) inside the subterranean dwellings fertilized the soil and led to the growth of unique nitrophilous plants. These changes transformed the houses into exceptional floristic refuges. |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
BHIRY, Najat MARGUERIE, Dominique WEETALUKTUK, Tommy DESROSIERS, Pierre M. TODISCO, Dominique DESROCHES BOURGON, Myosotis AOUSTIN, David |
author_facet |
BHIRY, Najat MARGUERIE, Dominique WEETALUKTUK, Tommy DESROSIERS, Pierre M. TODISCO, Dominique DESROCHES BOURGON, Myosotis AOUSTIN, David |
author_sort |
BHIRY, Najat |
title |
Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
title_short |
Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
title_full |
Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
title_fullStr |
Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
title_full_unstemmed |
Dorset and Thule Inuit occupations of Qikirtajuaq (Smith Island), Nunavik, Canada: a palaeoecological approach |
title_sort |
dorset and thule inuit occupations of qikirtajuaq (smith island), nunavik, canada: a palaeoecological approach |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://oskar-bordeaux.fr/handle/20.500.12278/32616 https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12515 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.520,-62.520,-62.981,-62.981) ENVELOPE(-78.199,-78.199,60.801,60.801) |
geographic |
Hudson Bay Nunavik Canada Hudson Long Island Smith Island Akulivik |
geographic_facet |
Hudson Bay Nunavik Canada Hudson Long Island Smith Island Akulivik |
genre |
Hudson Bay inuit Smith Island Nunavik |
genre_facet |
Hudson Bay inuit Smith Island Nunavik |
op_relation |
0300-9483 https://oskar-bordeaux.fr/handle/20.500.12278/32616 doi:10.1111/bor.12515 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/bor.12515 |
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Boreas |
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50 |
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3 |
container_start_page |
826 |
op_container_end_page |
843 |
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1766025718389538816 |