Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi
Kwäday Dän Tsʼìnchi | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1450–1700 AD British Columbia, Canada |
Died | Summertime, c. 1450–1700 AD (about 20 years of age at time of death) Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park, near the Yukon border |
Other names | Canadian Ice Man |
Website | Kwaday Dän Ts'inchi Project Introduction |
Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi (
Discovery
Three sheep hunters, Bill Hanlon, Warren Ward and Mike Roche, discovered a number of artifacts and a human body in a melting glacier while hunting near the Yukon border on July 22, 1999 (60°N 138°W / 60°N 138°W). The hunters were walking along a glacier, above the treeline, and noticed some bits of wood, which they thought unusual given their location. They examined the wood, and noticed carvings and notches, possibly indicating the wood formed the frame of a backpack. Searching with binoculars, Ward discovered the body in the ice. On August 16, the party reported their find to Yukon archaeology department staff, and turned in a number of artifacts they collected from the site.
Before making a public announcement, the archaeologists notified representatives of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, whose historical territory is here.[2] They visited the site and decided to name the person Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi, which means Long Ago Person Found. A team of archeologists was assembled to assess the find, and the First Nations were further consulted about the project.[3][4] They supported having scientific studies done, including DNA analysis.[2]
Description
The remains had been dismembered after death, probably by shifting ice due to thermal cracking and slumping along the edge of the glacier. The first part found was the torso, with left arm and mummified hand still attached. The lower body was found a few meters away, with the thighs and muscle still attached. The head was missing, as were the right arm and lower right leg, though his hair, attached to some remnants of the scalp, and some small bones from the right hand and foot were recovered. Soft tissue was present primarily in the torso and thighs. The torso was of particular interest, as gastric contents could be analyzed to yield clues to the days leading up to the man's death.[4][5] The skull was located in 2003, but was not removed from the site for study.[6]
The young man was estimated to be approximately 18–19 years old at his time of death.
Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi was found with a number of artifacts, including a robe made from 95 pelts of the local
Tissue studies revealed that his long-term diet consisted principally of shellfish and salmon, indicating that he was originally from one of the communities near the
The tribes allowed samples, including DNA, to be taken for study. They decided to have his remains
DNA tests
In 2000,
A partial mitochondrial DNA sequence of Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi, containing information on the
Conference
The find and studies generated great interest in Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi. In June 2005, the findings were discussed at a science conference on Rapid Landscape Change at
See also
- Arlington Springs Man – (Human remains)
- Buhl Woman – (Human remains)
- Calico Early Man Site – (Archeological site)
- Cueva de las Manos – (Cave paintings)
- Fort Rock Cave – (Archeological site)
- Genetic history of Indigenous peoples of the Americas
- Kennewick Man – (Human remains)
- List of unsolved deaths
- Luzia Woman – (Human remains)
- Marmes Rockshelter – (Archeological site)
- Mummy Cave – (Archeological site)
- Paisley Caves – (Archeological site)
- Xá:ytem– (Archeological site)
References
- ^ a b c "Scientists find 17 living relatives of 'iceman' discovered in B.C. glacier". CBC News. April 25, 2008. Archived from the original on April 27, 2008.
- ^ a b Brooke, James (25 August 1999). "Body of Ancient Man Found in West Canada Glacier". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Kwaday Dän Ts'inchi Project Chronology". Archived from the original on 2008-04-30.
- ^ a b Bettinger, Blaine (27 April 2008). "Kwäday Dän Tsʼìnchi - "Long-Ago Person Found"". The Genetic Genealogist blog. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ a b Beattie, Owen; Apland, Brian; Blake, Erik W.; Cosgrove, James A.; Gaunt, Sarah; Greer, Sheila; Mackie, Alexander P.; Mackie, Kjerstin E.; Straathof, Dan; Thorp, Valerie; Troffe, Peter M. (2000). "The Kwäday Dän Tsʼìnchi Discovery from a Glacier in British Columbia" (PDF). Canadian Journal of Archaeology (24): 129–147. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27.
- ^ "Scientists tantalize with 'iceman' findings". Vancouver Sun, April 4, 2008. Archived October 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- Pringle, Heather. "The Messenger", Canadian Geographic Magazine, Dec 2008, p. 74
- ^ a b Skikavich, Julia (June 17, 2005). "Delegates hear of ice man's final journey". Whitehorse Star. Archived from the original on October 3, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hebda, Richard J.; Greer, Sheila; Mackie, Alexander P. (3 January 2012). "Teachings From Long Ago Person Found: Highlights from the Kwädąy Dän Ts'ìnchį Project". Issuu. Royal BC Museum. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Kwäday Dän Tsʼìnchi Newsletter. Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, Winter 2009.
- ^ "Kwaday Dän Ts'inchi Project Introduction". Archived from the original on 2008-05-01.
- ^ "Kwaday Dän Ts'inchi Project Photos". Archived from the original on 2008-05-01.
- Pringle, Heather. "The Messenger", Canadian Geographic Magazine, Dec 2008, p. 73
- ^ Judith Lavoie, Canwest News Service, "Iceman's DNA Linked To Coastal Aboriginals (Canada)", Leader Post, 26 April 2008, accessed 5 October 2014
- ^ "Homo sapiens isolate Kwäday Dän Tsʼìnchi mitochondrial control region, partial sequence".