3D model of a box-type structure under a small cairn near the Bear Trap in Northwest Greenland

• Main Authors: Carlson, Daniel F., Walsh, Matthew J., Tejsner, Pelle, Thomsen, Steffen
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Greenland; Archaeology; Structure from Motion Photogrammetry; 3D model; Arctic; Canada; Nuuk; Cairn; McGee; Vaigat; Skraeling Island; Port Refuge; arctic small tool tradition; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources; Iceberg*; musk ox
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/5635980; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5635980

This dataset consists of files that can be used to view a high-resolution 3D model of a box-type structure under a small cairn in the vicinity of ‘The Bear Trap’. The interior of the stone box appears to have been completely empty. Similar small stone box structures have been identified and discussed by Schedermann (e.g. 1990: 159) for Arctic Small Tool tradition (ASTt) sites on Skraeling Island and by McGee (1979) for Port Refuge in the Canadian High Arctic. Similar and equally enigmatic features have also been described by Knuth (1966/67: 203) for far north and northeast Greenland. They have been alternatively attributed to numerous PalaeoEskimo cultural complexes, but without dated materials from the site current attribution of the feature’s function, significance or date are not possible. The 3D model was created from 280 digital photographs that were processed usingAgisoft Metashape Pro v1.7. More information is provided in processing report and the readme file that accompanies this dataset. The image survey was conducted as part of the Vaigat Iceberg-Microbial Oil Degradation and Archaeological Heritage Investigation (VIMOA) project, which was funded by the Danish Centre for Marine Research and supported by the Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University, the National Museum of Denmark, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, and The Greenland National Museum and Archives in Nuuk. Proper permits for the survey were obtained in advance from the Greenland National Museum and Archives in Nuuk. Walsh et al. (2020) provides an overview of the archaeological surveys conducted during the VIMOA project and Walsh et al. (in prep) provides further details specific to The Bear Trap and surrounding archaeological contexts. Knuth, Egil. (1966/67) The ruins of the Musk Ox Highway. Folk 8-9: 191-219. McGee, Robert. (1979) The Palaeoeskimo occupations at Port Refuge, High Arctic Canada. National Museum of Man Mercury Series. Archaeological Survey of Canada Paper No. 92. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada. ...