Publikationer

Research | Forskning - peer review

For at least 9000 years dogs have been pulling sleds across the Arctic, facilitating subsistence strategies and migrations. Despite the enduring presence of dogs in the Arctic there is an absence of comprehensive studies of the material culture associate with dog sledding, including the diverse tech… For at least 9000 years dogs have been pulling sleds across the Arctic, facilitating subsistence strategies and migrations. Despite the enduring presence of dogs in the Arctic there is an absence of comprehensive studies of the material culture associate with dog sledding, including the diverse technical elements needed for the activity. This study proposes a framework for the recognition of reliable archaeological indicators of dog sledding. The outcome is based on comparisons between ethnographic information of the dog traction technology and archaeological sites from the Arctic regions of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland using multivariate analysis. These sites were selected as case studies to encompass the breadth of geographical and Inuit cultural diversity where dog sledding traditionally has been practiced. We argue, that by using this framework it is possible to study dog sledding in the Arctic prior to the Thule Inuit period and gain more knowledge about the origin of the practice. By combining sources from ethnography, history and archaeology, our framework identified items involved in dog sledding that were universal to the practice as well as items that were regionally specific. However, the most reliable evidence for dog sledding is the presence of both sled parts, dog bones and equipment for harnessing the dogs. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Seersholm et al. analysed permafrozen middens from Inuit and Viking settlements to uncover evidence of diet in prehistoric Greenland. Using ancient DNA, they identified 42 different species and found that whales were surprisingly common. The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic wa… Seersholm et al. analysed permafrozen middens from Inuit and Viking settlements to uncover evidence of diet in prehistoric Greenland. Using ancient DNA, they identified 42 different species and found that whales were surprisingly common. The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic was tightly coupled to the ability of past peoples to exploit the full range of resources available to them. There is substantial evidence for the hunting of birds, caribou and seals in prehistoric Greenland. However, the extent to which these communities relied on fish and cetaceans is understudied because of taphonomic processes that affect how these taxa are presented in the archaeological record. To address this, we analyse DNA from bulk bone samples from 12 archaeological middens across Greenland covering the Palaeo-Inuit, Norse and Neo-Inuit culture. We identify an assemblage of 42 species, including nine fish species and five whale species, of which the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was the most commonly detected. Furthermore, we identify a new haplotype in caribou (Rangifer tarandus), suggesting the presence of a distinct lineage of (now extinct) dwarfed caribou in Greenland 3,000 years ago. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Reading Material Culture in the North Atlantic: Traditional wooden boxes as intercultural objects

This article explores intercultural links between the coastal communities of the North Atlantic region by discussing the cultural and social history of Norwegian objects displayed in regional heritage collections in Orkney and Shetland. The relationship between Norway and the Northern Isles of Scotl… This article explores intercultural links between the coastal communities of the North Atlantic region by discussing the cultural and social history of Norwegian objects displayed in regional heritage collections in Orkney and Shetland. The relationship between Norway and the Northern Isles of Scotland during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially trading links, is considered using the bentwood box as a way of accessing both tangible and intangible knowledge. Different types of traditional wooden boxes from Shetland, Orkney, Norway, and Iceland are compared using a microhistorical approach, which enables us to consider Norway and Scotland both as individual “ethno-territories” and as part of continuously changing networks of social and cultural contact across the North Atlantic. Læs mere

Communication | Formidling

In Kalaallit Nunaat, many stories—especially from hunters—tell of sightings or encounters with qivittut (singular: qivittoq). A qivittoq is someone who has abandoned society, often driven by shame, anger, jealousy, or despair, and seeks to survive alone in the wilderness. According to legend, they e… In Kalaallit Nunaat, many stories—especially from hunters—tell of sightings or encounters with qivittut (singular: qivittoq). A qivittoq is someone who has abandoned society, often driven by shame, anger, jealousy, or despair, and seeks to survive alone in the wilderness. According to legend, they eventually gain supernatural powers, can take the shape of animals, or move incredibly fast across the landscape. Feared as vengeful and dangerous, their stories serve as cautionary tales about the consequences of isolation. Deeply rooted in Inuit culture, the qivittoq tradition appears in both ancient legends and modern literature and film. Even today, there are reports of encounters in Kalaallit Nunaat, especially in fjords during spring, summer, and early autumn. I have long wanted to survey specific fjords to document locations linked to qivittoq sightings. But can we trace the qivittoq in the archaeological landscape? And is it even possible? This paper explores examples and key questions. Læs mere