essay

The fauna from the Saqqaq site of Nipisat I, Sisimiut District: preliminary results

paleo-eskimo cultures of greenland : a new perspective in greenlandic archaeology : papers from a symposium at the institute of archaeology and ethnology, university of copenhagen, may 21-24, 1992 (1) • Published In 1996 • Pages: 97-110

By: Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte.

Abstract
This work analyzes the preserved bone material from midden layers at Nipisat I, the youngest known open water site in Sisimiut district, western Greenland (2940 ±80 B.P.-2860±80 B.P. or ca. 940 B.C.-860 B.C.). A high percentage of bones from the site (46 percent) are from birds with lesser amounts from caribou and seals. 'The caribou material was intensively marrow fractured and the skeletal frequencies indicate that caribou hunted on the mainland were transported to the island of Nipisat in a partly butchered condition. Seasonal indicators, especially juvenile bird bones and mandibles from young caribou calves, demonstrate that Nipisat I was a summer/autumn site. The bone material has revealed the oldest occurrence in an archaeological context of the whooper swan in Greenland and two well preserved dog mandibles' (p. 97).
Subjects
Organization and analysis of results of research
Fauna
Annual cycle
Fowling
Hunting and trapping
Marine hunting
Diet
tradition
Eastern Arctic Small Tool
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Arctic and Subarctic
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Archaeologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle; 1998
Field Date
1989-1990
Coverage Date
2940± 80 BP- 2860±80 BP (ca. 940 B.C.-860 B.C.)
Coverage Place
Nipisat I: Sisimiut district, western Greenland
Notes
Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen
Includes bibliographical references (see document 7:Anonymous)
LCSH
Arctic regions--Antiquities