Qilakitsoq

Coordinates: 70°36′31″N 52°10′55″W / 70.60861°N 52.18194°W / 70.60861; -52.18194
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Qilakitsoq
Mummy I/1: a six-month-old boy
Discovered1972
Present locationNuussuaq Peninsula, Greenland
Qilakitsoq is located in Greenland
Qilakitsoq
Qilakitsoq
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Location within Greenland

Qilakitsoq is an abandoned settlement and an important archaeological site in Greenland. It became known as the discovery location of eight mummified corpses from the Thule period. The Inuit mummies of Qilakitsoq offer important insights into the lives of Inuit about 500 years ago.

Qilakitsoq is located in

West Greenland near the city of Uummannaq on the northern coast of the Nuussuaq peninsula (Greenlandic: Big Cape) in a sheltered cover of the Karrat Fjord. The Greenlandic name means "that which has very little sky", which probably refers to the steep cliffs which surround the area as well as its frequently occurring fog
.

History

This area was first settled by people of the

Thule culture, which lasted until about AD 1800, a settlement of about 30 residents was located here. They lived as hunters and gatherers; in the winter, they resided primarily in sod houses, while they spent summers living in tents on extended hunting trips in the surrounding fjords. The region was rich in game; in addition to seals and whales, polar bears, reindeer, and rock ptarmigans
were probably also hunted. People fished as well.

The first description of Qilakitsoq, which was named "Killekitok" by Europeans at the time, is from 1789, shortly after the founding of the Uummannaq colony (1761). At this time, Qilakitsoq was, much like other similar settlements, only occasionally populated in the winter; this lifestyle is ascribed to the Thule culture of the time and was comparable to the lifestyles of mummies found from around the year 1500. The last description of a permanent settlement in Qilakitsoq was written in 1811. Shortly thereafter, the settlement was apparently abandoned by its native population. A reason for this migration could be competition for food from the newly arriving Europeans, who used nets to hunt seals in large numbers.[1]

Archaeological finds

As early as 1903, Qilakitsoq proved to be a prominent site of archaeological findings when the

colonial administrator at the time sent several discovered artifacts to the National Museum of Denmark. Among other items were household objects and hunting tools, most of which are from the region's early history.[2]

There are several

authorities. Even so, it was not until 1978 that the first scientific investigations of the gravesites took place and soon thereafter, the mummies were transferred to Copenhagen for further research. In the meantime, there was already evidence of lasting damage by careless visitors; Hans and Jokum Grønvold repaired the partially covered graves multiple times.[4]

In 1982, the mummies were brought back to Greenland as part of a repatriation of Greenlandic cultural assets. In their current home at the Greenland National Museum (Kalaallit Nunaata Katersugaasivia) in the Greenlandic capital city of Nuuk, the four best-preserved mummies are publicly exhibited and comprise one of the biggest tourist attractions in Nuuk.[5]

Grave sites

The grave of the eight mummies differs from other Qilakitsoq gravesites in that it was the only one that lay about 200 m outside of the settlement and contained several corpses. It was located beneath an overhanging cliff and consists of a pile of large stones, as was usual due to a lack of suitable soil. This site offered optimal conditions for natural mummification; the bodies were in a cold, dry, and well-ventilated atmosphere, protected from animals and the weather.

The corpses were piled on top of one another in two groups only about one meter apart. They were fully clothed and were cushioned and covered with sealskins, flat stones, and grass.

Mummies

Due to certain clues such as age and location, the mummies were assumed to be two non-related families for a long time; later, as a result of

mtDNA analyses, it could be proven that there were familial links between people in both graves.[6] Radiocarbon dating yielded a probable time of death around 1475 with a margin of error of about ±50 years.[7]
Investigations were performed as carefully as possible; the four best-preserved mummies were neither derobed nor opened. Intense conservation measures were also avoided.

The numbering of the mummies follows the classifications of the initial investigators: specifically, the corpses were divided by graves and numbered from top to bottom.[8]

Grave I

I/1 A boy about six months

This best-preserved mummy was initially thought by its discoverers to be a doll. The especially good conservation can probably be attributed to a faster loss of

suffocated, which was typical for children younger than two years of age in order to spare them a slow death by starvation
.

I/2 A four-year-old boy

This boy, probably the son of I/3, was likely also abandoned during his short life, especially because he presumably displayed signs of

strangulation
, which is commonly noted as the cause of death in these cases. The boy could have died from the immediate consequences of his illness. There is evidence to suggest that, at any rate, this mummy was rebedded posthumously.

I/3 A 20- to 30-year-old woman

This mummy is most likely the daughter of II/6 or II/8 and not, as originally assumed, the sister of I/4. This woman is also exhibited in the museum in Nuuk. Possible causes of death may be a kidney stone or an intestinal obstruction.

I/4 A woman over 30 years

This mummy is also well-preserved and can be viewed in Nuuk. She might be the sister of II/7.

I/5 A woman of about 50 years

This woman is, according to the results of a

DNA analysis
, not maternally related to any of the other mummies.

Grave II

Married Greenlandic woman (1654). Her tattoos almost exactly match those of adult mummies found in Qilaksitoq.
Married Greenlandic woman (1654). Her tattoos almost exactly match those of adult mummies found in Qilakitsoq.[9]
II/6 A woman of about 50 years

This well-preserved mummy, who can be viewed in the museum, is likely the sister of II/8. Her tattoos differ conspicuously from those of other women.

II/7 A woman of about 20 years

This woman could have been the sister of I/4. She was the only adult woman who wasn't

internal organs
were thoroughly examined, no evidence could be found that might indicate a cause of death.

II/8 A woman of about 50 years

This mummy is very poorly preserved. She could be the sister of II/6. The woman suffered from a

teeth. Furthermore, all the older mummies showed clear signs of dental erosion, which might be explained by their tough diets as well as by stress caused by tanning and removing fur from leather (here, animal hides were removed by scraping with the teeth). Bad teeth were especially dangerous for Inuit
peoples with regard to their diets, which were largely raw, meat-based, and difficult to chew.

Clothing

All mummies were fully clothed such that both the

anorak. Mummy II/8 even wore three. The inner anoraks were largely made of bird feathers, whereby five different species of bird were used to make one anorak; the outer layers were made of sealskin. The use of different colors and their arrangement suggest conscious design for aesthetic purposes.[13]

Other mummies found in Greenland

Similar, although not as well-preserved, mummies were also found on the Uunartoq Island in South Greenland and on the Pisissarfik mountain near Nuuk.

See also

Literature

References

  1. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  2. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  3. ^ "Qilakitsoq - Graves". 2010-07-03. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  4. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  5. ^ "Attractions - Tikilluarit - Nuuk Tourism". 2010-06-09. Archived from the original on 9 June 2010. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  6. PMID 17427925
    .
  7. ISSN 0027-9358
    .
  8. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  9. ^ Detail from a painting by an unknown artist, which shows four people kidnapped from the area of Nuuk by a Danish expedition led by David Dannell. This is the first known depiction of Greenlandic Inuit.
  10. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  11. PMID 11451716
    . Retrieved 2008-03-15.
  12. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .
  13. ISBN 0-7141-2500-8
    .

External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Qilakitsoq.

70°36′31″N 52°10′55″W / 70.60861°N 52.18194°W / 70.60861; -52.18194

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