Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ph5wq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T07:14:37.528Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

LATE DORSET TRIANGULAR MIDPASSAGES IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC AND NORTHWEST GREENLAND: ORIGINS AND DISPERSAL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2018

John Darwent*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
James M. Savelle
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Québec H3A 2T7, Canada
Christyann M. Darwent
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Arthur S. Dyke
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Québec, H3A 2T7 Department of Earth Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
Hans Lange
Affiliation:
Nunatta Katersugaasivia Allagaateqarfialu, Hans Egedesvej 8, Box 145, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
Genevieve M. LeMoine
Affiliation:
Arctic Museum, Bowdoin College, 9500 College St. Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
Claude Pinard
Affiliation:
Consultant, 12524 Odette Oligny Street, Montreal, Québec H4J 2R4, Canada
*
(jadarwent@ucdavis.edu, corresponding author)

Abstract

Midpassages are the most recognizable architectural feature associated with the entire Paleoeskimo period (2800 BC–AD 1300) in the Canadian and Greenlandic Arctic. Usually built of stone, midpassages are rectangular-shaped axial structures that run through the center of tent rings and semisubterranean house depressions. However, a unique triangular form of midpassage developed in association with the Late Dorset complex in the Boothia Peninsula area of the Canadian Arctic around AD 400. Unlike the rectangular-shaped varieties that were built contemporaneously across the Arctic, distribution of the triangular form is limited, and occurrences are rare. Initially, construction appears restricted to the Boothia Peninsula region, where the form persisted for the subsequent 400 years. After AD 900, they are found in Inglefield Land, Greenland, and a few other locations in the Canadian Arctic where they continued to be built until around AD 1200, representing an over 800-year period in a remarkably unvarying configuration. Further, these triangular midpassage structures very likely represent a regional architectural variant that moved northward with the Late Dorset diaspora after AD 800.

Dans l'arctique canadien et le Groenland, les aménagemant axial sont les structures architecturales les plus frappantes associées à la tradition Artic Small Tool (2800 BC–AD 1300). Généralement construites en pierre, ces structures axiales de forme rectangulaire connectent le centre et les zones semi- souterraines de l'habitation. Avec le complexe Dorset Tardif (vers 400 AD) une forme spécifique de passage triangulaire se développe dans la Péninsule de Boothia et l'arctique canadien. Contemporaine des passages rectangulaires répandus à travers l'arctique, la variante triangulaire reste rare et sa distribution est limitée. Au départ, elle se retrouvent uniquement dans la péninsule de Boothia ou elle persiste durant environ 400 ans. Apres 900 AD, on la retrouve dans l'Inglefield Land, le Groenland et dans d'autres localités de l'arctique canadien ou ce type de construction perdure jusque vers 1200 AD Les aménagemant axial triangulaires représentent donc une variante architecturale se déplaçant vers le Nord en avec la diaspora du Dorset Tardif, à partir de 800 AD Leurs configurations restent inchangées durant une période ininterrompue d'environ 800 ans.

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by the Society for American Archaeology 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Andreasen, Claus 2000 Paleo-Eskimos in Northwest and Northeast Greenland. In Identities and Cultural Contacts in the Arctic, edited by Appelt, Martin, Berglund, Joel, and Gulløv, Hans Christian, pp. 8296. National Museum of Denmark and the Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Appelt, Martin, and Gulløv, Hans Christian (editors) 1999 Late Dorset in High Arctic Greenland: Final Report of the Gateway to Greenland Project. National Museum of Denmark and the Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Appelt, Martin, Gulløv, Hans Christian, and Kapel, Hans 1998 The Gateway to Greenland: Report of the Field Season 1996. In Man, Culture and Environment in Ancient Greenland, edited by Arneborg, Jette and Gulløv, Hans Christian, pp. 136153. National Museum of Denmark and the Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Arundale, Wendy 1981 Radiocarbon Dating in Eastern Arctic Archaeology: A Flexible Approach. American Antiquity 46:244271.Google Scholar
Bettinger, Robert L., and Baumhoff, Martin A. 1982 The Numic Spread: Great Basin Cultures in Competition. American Antiquity 47:485503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, Steven L. 2003 Palaeoeskimo Structures in the Okak Region of Labrador. Études/Inuit/Studies 28:2965.Google Scholar
Darwent, John, Darwent, Christyann M., LeMoine, Genevieve M., and Lange, Hans 2007 Archaeological Survey of Eastern Inglefield Land, Northwest Greenland. Arctic Anthropology 44 (2):5186.Google Scholar
Darwent, John, Savelle, James M., Darwent, Christyann M., Dyke, Arthur S., Lange, Hans, LeMoine, Genevieve M., and Pinard, Claude 2017 Origin and Dispersal of Triangular Midpassages in the Late Dorset Period in the Canadian and Northwestern Greenlandic Arctic. Paper presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Archaeological Association, Gatineau, Québec.Google Scholar
Dunnell, Robert C. 1978 Style and Function: A Fundamental Dichotomy. American Antiquity 43:192202.Google Scholar
Dyke, Arthur S., and Savelle, James M. 2009 Paleoeskimo Demography and Sea-Level History, Kent Peninsula and King William Island, Central Northwest Passage. Arctic 62:371392.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyke, Arthur S., Savelle, James M., and Johnson, Donald S. 2011 Paleoeskimo Demography and Holocene Sea-Level History, Gulf of Boothia, Arctic Canada. Arctic 64:151168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emberling, Geoff 1997 Ethnicity in Complex Societies: Archaeological Perspectives. Journal of Archaeological Research 5:295344.Google Scholar
Friesen, T. Max 2007 Hearth Rows, Hierarchies and Arctic Hunter-Gatherers: The Construction of Equality in the Late Dorset Period. World Archaeology 39:194214.Google Scholar
Gordon, Bryan C. 1996 People of Sunlight, People of Starlight: Barrenland Archaeology in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Archaeological Survey of Canada Mercury Series No. 154. Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Québec.Google Scholar
Gotfredsen, Anne Brigitte, and Møbjerg, Tinna 2004 Nipisat—A Saqqaq Culture Site in Sisimiut, Central West Greenland. Meddelelser om Grønland [Monographs on Greenland]: Man and Society Vol. 31. Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Helmer, James W. 1991 The Palaeo-Eskimo Prehistory of the North Devon Lowlands. Arctic 44:301317.Google Scholar
Hodder, Ian 1982 Symbols in Action: Ethnoarchaeological Studies of Material Culture. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Hodder, Ian 2012 Entangled: An Archaeology of the Relationships between Humans and Things. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden, Massachusetts.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knuth, Eigil 1967 The Archaeology of the Muskox Way. Contributions du centre d’études Arctiques et Finnoscandinaves [Contributions from the Arctic and Finnoscandinavia Studies Center] No. 5. École pratique des hautes études, Sorbonne, Paris.Google Scholar
LeMoine, Genevieve M. 2003 Woman of the House: Gender, Architecture, and Ideology in Dorset Prehistory. Arctic Anthropology 40 (1):121138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
LeMoine, Genevieve M., Darwent, Christyann M., Darwent, John, and Lange, Hans 2006 What's the Point? Variant Paleoeskimo Architecture. Paper presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Archaeological Association, Toronto, Ontario.Google Scholar
LeMoine, Genevieve M., Helmer, James W., and Grønnow, Bjarne 2003 Late Dorset Architecture on Little Cornwallis Island. Études/Inuit/Studies 27:255280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lipo, Carl P., Madsen, Mark E., and Robert, Dunnell, C. 1997 Population Structure, Cultural Transmission, and Frequency Seriation. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 16:301333.Google Scholar
McGhee, Robert 1976 Palaeoeskimo Occupations of Central and High Arctic Canada. In Eastern Arctic Prehistory: Palaeoeskimo Problems, edited by Maxwell, Moreau S., pp. 1539. Memoirs of the Society for American Archaeology No. 31. Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
McGhee, Robert 1979 The Palaeoeskimo Occupations at Port Refuge, High Arctic Canada. Archaeological Survey of Canada Mercury Series Paper 92. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa.Google Scholar
McGhee, Robert 1981 The Tuniit: First Explorers of the High Arctic. Archaeological Survey of Canada, National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa.Google Scholar
McGhee, Robert 1996 Ancient People of the Arctic. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver.Google Scholar
Morrison, David 1989 Radiocarbon Dating Thule Culture. Arctic Anthropology 26 (2):4877.Google Scholar
O'Brien, Michael J., and Lyman, R. Lee 2000 Applying Evolutionary Archaeology. Kluwer Academic/Plenum, New York.Google Scholar
Pinard, Claude 2011 Mary River Project, Nunavut: 2010 Archaeological Investigation Final Permit Report. Nunavut Department of Culture and Heritage. Submitted to Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, NU Archaeologist's Permit 2010–026A. Copies available from Inuit Heritage Trust, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Canada.Google Scholar
Pinard, Claude 2012 Mary River Project, Nunavut: 2011 Archaeological Investigation Final Permit Report. Nunavut Department of Culture and Heritage. Report prepared for Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, NU Archaeologist's Permit 2011–033A. Copies available from Inuit Heritage Trust, Government of Nunavut, Iqaluit, Canada.Google Scholar
Plumet, Patrick 1985 Archéologie de l'Ungava: Le site de la Pointe aux Bélougas (Qilalugarsiuvik) et les maisons longues dorsétiennes [Archaeology of Ungava: The Site of Beluga Point (Qilalugarsiuvik) and the Dorset Longhouses]. Recherches amérindiennes au Québec [Native American Research in Quebec] Collection Paléo-Québec 18. Laboratoire d'archaéologie de l'Université de Québec, Montréal, Canada.Google Scholar
Reimer, Paula J., Bard, Edouard, Warren Beck, Alex Bayliss, J., Blackwell, Paul G., Ramsey, Christopher Bronk, Buck, Caitlin E., Lawrence Edwards, Hai Cheng, R., Friedrich, Michael, Grootes, Pieter M., Guilderson, Thomas P., Haflidason, Haflidi, Hajdas, Irka, Hatté, Christine, Heaton, Timothy J., Hoffmann, Dirk L., Hogg, Alan G., Hughen, Konrad A, Kaiser, K. Felix, Kromer, Bernd, Manning, Sturt W., Niu, Mu, Reimer, Ron W., Richards, David A., Scott, E. Marian, Southon, John R., Staff, Richard A., Turney, Christian S.M., and van der Plicht, Johannes 2013 IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55:18691887.Google Scholar
Ryan, Karen 2003 An Overview of Palaeoeskimo Architectural Remains in the Central Canadian Low Arctic. Études/Inuit/Studies 28:2965.Google Scholar
Sackett, James R. 1990 Style and Ethnicity in Archaeology: The Case for Isochrestism. In The Uses of Style in Archaeology, edited by Conkey, Meg W. and Hastorf, Christine A., pp. 3243. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Savelle, James M., and Dyke, Arthur S. 2002 Variability in Paleoeskimo Occupation History on Victoria Island, N.W.T.: Causes and Consequences. World Archaeology 33:508522.Google Scholar
Savelle, James M., and Dyke, Arthur S. 2009 Paleoeskimo Demography on Western Boothia Peninsula, Central Canadian Arctic. Journal of Field Archaeology 34:267283.Google Scholar
Savelle, James M., and Dyke, Arthur S. 2014 Paleoeskimo Occupation History of Fox Basin, Arctic Canada: Implications for the Core Area Model and Dorset Origins. American Antiquity 79:249276.Google Scholar
Schledermann, Peter 1990 Crossroads to Greenland: 3000 Years of Prehistory in the Eastern High Arctic. Komatik Series. Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Google Scholar
Shennan, Stephen J. 1989 Introduction. In Archaeological Approaches to Cultural Identity, edited by Shennan, Stephen J., pp. 132. Unwin Hyman, London.Google Scholar
Sutherland, Patricia D. 2003 Variability and Change in Palaeo-Eskimo Architecture: A View from the Canadian High Arctic. Études/ Inuit/Studies 28:191212.Google Scholar
Wiessner, Polly 1983 Style and Social Information in Kalahari San Projectile Points. American Antiquity 48:253276.Google Scholar
Willey, Gordon R., and Phillips, Philip 1958 Method and Theory in American Archaeology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Supplemental Figure Captions

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 185.7 KB
Supplementary material: File

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Table 1

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(File)
File 22.3 KB
Supplementary material: File

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Table 2

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(File)
File 37.7 KB
Supplementary material: Image

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Figure 1

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 7.5 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Figure 2

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 7 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Figure 3

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 4.2 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Figure 4

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 2.2 MB
Supplementary material: Image

Darwent et al. supplementary material

Figure 5

Download Darwent et al. supplementary material(Image)
Image 7.8 MB