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24-583: Qilakitsoq is located in West Greenland near the city of Uummannaq on the northern coast of the Nuussuaq peninsula ( Greenlandic : Big Cape) in a sheltered cover of the Karrat Fjord . The Greenlandic name means "that which has very little sky", which probably refers to the steep cliffs which surround the area as well as its frequently occurring fog . This area was first settled by people of

48-401: A poorly healed broken shoulder . Her poor health could be a possible cause of death. As with all of the older women found, she was missing several teeth . Furthermore, all the older mummies showed clear signs of dental erosion , which might be explained by their tough diets as well as by stress caused by tanning and removing fur from leather (here, animal hides were removed by scraping with

72-548: Is a former administrative division of Greenland . It was by far the most populated of the divisions, being home to almost 90% of the total population. The divisions were de facto replaced by statistical regions after Greenland received home rule in 1979. It is bordered in the west by the Baffin Bay , Davis Strait , Labrador Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean . To the east lies Tunu . All but three of

96-527: Is detrimental to their way of life and the Inuit culture . Further, films like Angry Inuk (2016) expose the importance of sealing in providing a sustainable way of making money for Inuit that does not require destructive practices like mining or seismic testing to take place. However, many non-Inuit object to the use of seal skin, fur and pelts, and it is illegal to hunt seals in many countries, particularly young seals. The value of global sealskin exports in 2006

120-573: The National Museum of Denmark . Among other items were household objects and hunting tools, most of which are from the region's early history. There are several gravesites in Qilakitsoq and, even today, one can find human remains under piles of stones . On October 9, 1972, two hunters , Hans and Jokum Grønvold from Uummannaq, discovered a grave containing several mummies while they were out hunting for rock ptarmigans . They covered

144-601: The Saqqaq culture about 4300 years ago, who presumably traveled via Ellesmere Island . A later wave of migration from Alaska via Canada ended in Greenland around 1000 BC and resulted in a more modern settlement of the region surrounding Qilakitsoq. In the time of the Thule culture , which lasted until about AD 1800, a settlement of about 30 residents was located here. They lived as hunters and gatherers ; in

168-404: The winter , they resided primarily in sod houses , while they spent summers living in tents on extended hunting trips in the surrounding fjords . The region was rich in game; in addition to seals and whales , polar bears , reindeer , and rock ptarmigans were probably also hunted. People fished as well. The first description of Qilakitsoq, which was named "Killekitok" by Europeans at

192-601: The dead . A total of 78 articles of clothing were discovered. Of note were the Kamit (singular: Kamik ), nearly waterproof boots stitched from sealskin, which were insulated from the cold using hay . Socks were generally worn under the Kamit . The mummies generally wore two layers of clothing: outer and inner (mostly short) pants , and both an outer and an inner anorak . Mummy II/8 even wore three. The inner anoraks were largely made of bird feathers , whereby five different species of bird were used to make one anorak;

216-408: The death of his mother, the boy was either buried alive or suffocated , which was typical for children younger than two years of age in order to spare them a slow death by starvation . This boy, probably the son of I/3, was likely also abandoned during his short life, especially because he presumably displayed signs of Down syndrome and the abandonment of disabled children was widely practiced at

240-425: The graves up again, and immediately alerted the authorities . Even so, it was not until 1978 that the first scientific investigations of the gravesites took place and soon thereafter, the mummies were transferred to Copenhagen for further research. In the meantime, there was already evidence of lasting damage by careless visitors; Hans and Jokum Grønvold repaired the partially covered graves multiple times. In 1982,

264-524: The island territory's municipalities were located in West Greenland. These were (in geographical order, from south to north): 68°00′N 52°00′W  /  68.000°N 52.000°W  / 68.000; -52.000 This Greenland location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sealskin Sealskin is the skin of a seal . Seal skins have been used by

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288-427: The mummies follows the classifications of the initial investigators: specifically, the corpses were divided by graves and numbered from top to bottom. This best-preserved mummy was initially thought by its discoverers to be a doll. The especially good conservation can probably be attributed to a faster loss of body heat due to its smaller size. He likely descended from I/4 or II/7. It is considered possible that, after

312-498: The mummies were assumed to be two non-related families for a long time; later, as a result of mtDNA analyses , it could be proven that there were familial links between people in both graves. Radiocarbon dating yielded a probable time of death around 1475 with a margin of error of about ±50 years. Investigations were performed as carefully as possible; the four best-preserved mummies were neither derobed nor opened. Intense conservation measures were also avoided. The numbering of

336-632: The mummies were brought back to Greenland as part of a repatriation of Greenlandic cultural assets. In their current home at the Greenland National Museum (Kalaallit Nunaata Katersugaasivia) in the Greenlandic capital city of Nuuk , the four best-preserved mummies are publicly exhibited and comprise one of the biggest tourist attractions in Nuuk. The grave of the eight mummies differs from other Qilakitsoq gravesites in that it

360-492: The museum in Nuuk. Possible causes of death may be a kidney stone or an intestinal obstruction . This mummy is also well-preserved and can be viewed in Nuuk. She might be the sister of II/7. This woman is, according to the results of a DNA analysis , not maternally related to any of the other mummies. This well-preserved mummy, who can be viewed in the museum, is likely the sister of II/8. Her tattoos differ conspicuously from those of other women. This woman could have been

384-685: The outer layers were made of sealskin. The use of different colors and their arrangement suggest conscious design for aesthetic purposes . Similar, although not as well-preserved, mummies were also found on the Uunartoq Island in South Greenland and on the Pisissarfik mountain near Nuuk. 70°36′31″N 52°10′55″W  /  70.60861°N 52.18194°W  / 70.60861; -52.18194 West Greenland Kitaa , originally Vestgrønland ("West Greenland"),

408-442: The peoples of North America and northern Eurasia for millennia to make waterproof jackets and boots, and seal fur to make fur coats . Sailors used to have tobacco pouches made from sealskin. Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and Namibia all export sealskin. It was traditionally used to make Scottish sporrans . The Inuit , a people indigenous to North America and Greenland , argue that banning both seal products and seal hunting

432-512: The sister of I/4. She was the only adult woman who wasn't tattooed , which may indicate that she was unmarried. Food remains were found in her intestines , providing insight into her diet. As expected, there was a low proportion of plant-based nutrition; surprisingly, in addition to pollen , the remains of partially burned evergreen bark was found which was not native to this region. There was more rust in her lungs than in modern-day residents of large cities, which can primarily be attributed to

456-407: The teeth). Bad teeth were especially dangerous for Inuit peoples with regard to their diets, which were largely raw, meat-based, and difficult to chew. All mummies were fully clothed such that both the clothing and their usage could be comprehensively investigated. The custom of burying people fully clothed derives from the concept that they may need this clothing for their journey to the land of

480-508: The time, is from 1789, shortly after the founding of the Uummannaq colony (1761). At this time, Qilakitsoq was, much like other similar settlements, only occasionally populated in the winter; this lifestyle is ascribed to the Thule culture of the time and was comparable to the lifestyles of mummies found from around the year 1500. The last description of a permanent settlement in Qilakitsoq

504-416: The time. There is, however, no sign of strangulation , which is commonly noted as the cause of death in these cases. The boy could have died from the immediate consequences of his illness. There is evidence to suggest that, at any rate, this mummy was rebedded posthumously. This mummy is most likely the daughter of II/6 or II/8 and not, as originally assumed, the sister of I/4. This woman is also exhibited in

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528-469: The use of whale-oil lamps in their small dwellings. The mummy is in relatively poor condition in comparison with her well-preserved clothing. Even though her internal organs were thoroughly examined, no evidence could be found that might indicate a cause of death. This mummy is very poorly preserved. She could be the sister of II/6. The woman suffered from a malignant, end-stage tumor , which probably impaired her senses of hearing and sight , as well as

552-633: Was the only one that lay about 200 m outside of the settlement and contained several corpses. It was located beneath an overhanging cliff and consists of a pile of large stones, as was usual due to a lack of suitable soil . This site offered optimal conditions for natural mummification; the bodies were in a cold, dry, and well-ventilated atmosphere, protected from animals and the weather. The corpses were piled on top of one another in two groups only about one meter apart. They were fully clothed and were cushioned and covered with sealskins , flat stones, and grass. Due to certain clues such as age and location,

576-416: Was written in 1811. Shortly thereafter, the settlement was apparently abandoned by its native population. A reason for this migration could be competition for food from the newly arriving Europeans, who used nets to hunt seals in large numbers. As early as 1903, Qilakitsoq proved to be a prominent site of archaeological findings when the colonial administrator at the time sent several discovered artifacts to

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