The Haunted Of Sermermiut

Archaeological digs in the 20th century helped fill in the gaps in our understanding of Sermermiut's past, prior to colonization. At the turn of the century, the region piqued the curiosity of archaeologists, but little is known about their findings. The Saqqaq, Early Dorset, and Thule civilizations had all made use of Sermermiut, according to a 1953 archaeological investigation. In 1983, researchers conducted another excavation that placed the beginning of the Early Dorset colony between 600 and 200 BCE.

Located in southern Greenland, the Saqqaq civilization was a Paleo-Eskimo society. It was so called because of the Saqqaq village, which has yielded many artifacts. The Saqqaq are the only known people who have maintained a permanent presence in Greenland for the entire known history of the planet.

Saqqaq civilization, the first to be discovered in southern Greenland, lasted from around 2500 BCE to 800 BCE. Northern Greenland's Independence I civilization, which emerged circa 2400 BCE and lasted until around 1300 BCE, existed alongside this one. The Independence II culture in northern Greenland and the Early Dorset culture in west Greenland both evolved after the Saqqaq civilization perished. The exact moment when western Greenlandic civilization shifted from Saqqaq to Early Dorset is a topic of significant contention.

There were two distinct epochs throughout Saqqaq civilization, with the most notable change being the incorporation of sandstone into later practices. At the same time as the oldest Dorset culture phase coincides with the younger Saqqaq phase, there is also an older Dorset phase.

Frozen bones of a Saqqaq called “Inuk” were uncovered in western Greenland (Qeqertarsuaq) and have been DNA sequenced. His features were shovel-shaped teeth, black hair, and brown eyes. He belonged to the indigenous people of northern Siberia and lived about four thousand years ago, according to archaeological evidence. Rather than being the forebears of the modern-day Kalaallit, the Saqqaq are linked to the Chukchi and Koryak. Their mode of transportation, whether it be boats or ice, remains a mystery.

Seabirds, seals, and other marine creatures were the staple diet of the Saqqaq people, who lived in makeshift tents. Agate, quartzite, silicified slate, and rock crystals were some of the materials used by the Saqqaq people for their toolmaking.

In North America's Arctic, the Dorset were a Paleo-Eskimo people who lived from 500 BC to around 1500 AD. They were the predecessors of the Pre-Dorset and the Inuit. Cape Dorset in Nunavut, Canada, is the site of the first discovery, which is why it was given that name. Because of the noticeable variations in hunting and tool-making technology, the civilization has been categorized into four separate stages. Burins, soapstone lanterns, and end-blades with a characteristic triangle shape are among the artifacts found.

In 1925, the Dorset were first recognized as a distinct cultural group. It seems that the Dorset were no longer in existence by 1500, and maybe much earlier, about 1000. The Thule people, who started making their way eastward from Alaska in the eleventh century, eventually expanded across the territory that had been occupied by the Dorset. The likelihood of a meeting between the Inuit and the Dorset is low. There was "nearly no evidence of genetic or cultural interaction between the Dorset and the Thule peoples," according to modern DNA research, which further supports the idea that the Dorset were separate from subsequent populations.

They met a group they referred to as the Tuniit or Sivullirmiut, "First Inhabitants," according to Nacht traditions. Legend has it that the First Inhabitants were enormous beings who were both stronger and taller than the Inuit, but who were also terrified of human contact and "easily put to flight." Additionally, there is a notion that suggests the Dorset and Norse may have traded and interacted.

Diamond Jenness, an anthropologist, got a few strange objects from Cape Dorset in 1925. He assumed they belonged to a long-gone civilization because they were so unlike the Inuit. Jenness gave the civilization the name "Dorset" in honor of the site of the digging. These relics revealed a clear and persistent cultural pattern, with high-level artwork that was different from what the Inuit created. Figures of both sexes wore hoodless parkas with big, towering collars, and the carvings showcased ladies with unusually huge hairdo. Many facts about the Dorset people and their culture have been uncovered via study since then.

Nobody knows where the Dorset people came from. It is possible that they evolved from earlier Pre-Dorset, Saqqaq, or But there are issues with this theory: the Dorsets did not have the technology that these older civilizations possessed, which is the bow and arrow. The Dorset lost their bow and arrow, maybe because they started hunting more often in water. The lack of drill holes in Dorset artifacts is further evidence that this technological innovation was not used by the Dorset people. The Dorset instead made lenticular holes by gouging them. Bone needles, for instance, are prevalent at Dorset sites; yet, the holes in these artfully cut or gouged specimens are long and thin. There were exercises on the Pre-Dorset and the Thule.

A possible terminal phase (beginning about the year 1000 AD) follows the Early (500–1 BC), Middle (AD 1-500), Late (AD 500–1000), and Late (AD 500–1000) eras in Dorset's cultural and historical timeline. The beginning of the Medieval Warm Period, which began to warm the Arctic significantly about AD950, would most likely have been closely associated with the Terminal phase if one occurred. Sea ice became less reliable and separated the High Arctic as a result of warming temperatures.

Because of its exceptional adaptations to frigid weather, the Dorset likely subsisted mostly on the flesh of marine creatures that could breathe through cracks in the ice. Dorset would have felt the effects of the Medieval Warm Period's dramatic loss of sea ice. The ice may have led them northward. Between the years 1000 and 1500 AD, according to the majority of evidence, they vanished. Their supposed extinction was due to their susceptibility to newly-introduced diseases or their inability to adjust to a changing environment, according to scientists.

When compared to the Thule Inuit, whose livelihood depended on whaling, the Dorset adaption was distinct. They were not as common hunters of land animals like caribou and polar bears as the Inuit. No bows or arrows were used by them. They reportedly subsisted instead by hunting seals and other marine creatures via ice crevices. They must have altered their attire to the harsh environment.

Soapstone, burins, and triangle end-blades are telltale signs of a Dorset. The spear points were fastened to the harpoon spear points. While seals were their primary prey, they would also take down walruses and narwhals with the use of their harpoons. Using soapstone and seal oil, they created kudlik lamps. Stone flake known as burins has a sharp, chisel-like edge. These tools were likely used for engraving or carving various materials such as wood or bone. Burins, which had a unique mitten form, were also utilized by Pre-Dorset people.

Miniature carvings and impressive masks were two areas in which the Dorset excelled. Both point to a vibrant shamanistic heritage. While the Dorset culture was strikingly consistent throughout the Canadian Arctic, researchers have identified significant differences in the Greenland and Newfoundland/Labrador areas.