Archaeologists interested in northern regions have been intrigued by the ability of northern peoples to adapt to long, cold, and
dark winters. Settling above the treeline, these people would have to find alternatives to wood for structural material, firewood, and the
inability to cultivate the land. Northern Labrador has been occupied over the past 4000 years by paleoeskimo cultures who have adapted to these
harsh environmental conditions. As more sites are excavated in the Eastern Arctic, archaeologists see how in the course of this period
different groups have chosen some similar adaptations, while continually making modifications to these technologies. Archaeologists do not only
want to document these changes over time, but to assess what may have influenced these material changes. Thus by looking at changes in raw
material use, artifact types, house forms, and occupations across the landscape, archaeologists can see beyond the material remains and begin
to understand the culture of different paleoeskimo peoples. The earliest paleoeskimo sites in Labrador date to 4500 B.P. By 2500 B.P. a new
culture emerges as is evident from house forms, artifact types, and raw material use. This new culture is referred to as Dorset and is further
subdivided into Early, Middle, and Late horizons. It is unclear whether this culture emerges in situ or if it originated in the central arctic
and entered northern Labrador at this time. Little is known about the Early Dorset horizon because so few sites have been located and excavated
from this period. Thus, the excavation of the Komaktorvik-1 Early Dorset site is crucial in filling in the gaps of arctic prehistory. The goal
of this site report from Komaktorvik-1 is to analyze Early Dorset cultural patterns by looking specifically at lithic technology, structural
material, subsistence and settlement patterns, and the placement of this site within the continuum of Labrador prehistory.
This research was supported by a grant from the National
Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number
DBI-9531331.
Letter of Gratitude
