Paleoeskimo Cultures of Northern Labrador

Abstract

This paper limits itself to a description of four complexes revealed by our excavations at Saglek Bay, northern Labrador, during the years 1969, 1970, and 1971. A “Pre-Dorset” complex and three phases of a considerably longer Dorset Eskimo occupation are examined and some comparison within the Saglek sequence and a few comparisons with nearby geographic areas are offered. No attempt is made to generalize about Paleoeskimo cultures in the entire Canadian Arctic, especially as regards causative relationships, since such attempts seem premature given our present lack of control over basic cultural and environmental data.Over two dozen Paleoeskimo components were excavated or surface-collected during our three years at Saglek Bay. Analysis is now nearly complete and four representative components from these sites have been selected to illustrate four more or less distinct cultures or culture phases in this little known region of eastern Canada.As sites were discovered at Saglek Bay they were given consecutive letter designations. The three sites considered herein are Upernavik Island Site K, a Pre-Dorset station, Rose Island Site E, which contained early and middle Dorset components, and Rose Island Site W, a late Dorset station. Each site location, the artifacts found therein, and evidence for chronology are summarized briefly below.