Title: Nipisat - a Saqqaq culture site in Sisimiut, central West Greenland (Vol. 331)
Description: d on immature individuals caught primarily
during their first summer on the breeding grounds. The inhabitants at Nipisat also
hunted caribou on the mainland. The age structure and sex distribution of the caribou
remains primarily reflect stalking. Selected body parts, especially the fore and hind legs
and the heads, were transported to the island for raw material, meat filleting and further
processing for marrow extraction and fat rendering. The exploitation of fauna through the entire occupation period was remarkably
constant with respect to choice of game animal and the selected age groups. Although
eiders were more abundant in phase 1 (36%) than in phase 3 (17%) while gulls increased
from 43 to 61% in the same time period. The same trend was found valid for geese, which
increased over time while the importance of auks decreased. Harbour porpoise seem to
have decreased while walrus increased in relative importance through time. Caribou
seem to be of greater importance in phase 3 with 55% compared to 45% in phase 1. The
slight shift in preferred resources may be explained by fluctuating abundance and availability
of the game species combined with the development of new hunting tools.
Based on the new investigations in the Sisimiut District, the gap between Saqqaq
and Dorset Culture in Central West Greenland has been diminished. Although resource
exploitation at the site seems to have been very stable through all three phases, there are
aspects of cultural change bridging the transition from Saqqaq to Dorset Cultures. The
introduction of bevelled tools, sturdy harpoon or lance heads and the abandonment of
the bow and arrow in phase 3, show cultural affiliation with Dorset technology. This is
also true in terms of lithic raw material preference, the introduction of soapstone artefacts
and the absence of dwelling structures with a well-defined box-hearth. At the same
time it looks like, the central occupation area for the Saqqaq Culture shifted southwards
from the Qeqertarsuup Tunua area towards Sisimiut and Nuuk.
Subjects: Archaeology