Thule people

The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit and Yupik peoples. They began in coastal Alaska around 1000 AD and moved eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. During their journey, they replaced the earlier Dorset culture people who had lived in the region before them.

The name “Thule” comes from a place called Thule, now known as Pituffik, in northwest Greenland. This area faces Canada, and it was there that archaeologists first found remains of the Thule people at a site called Comer's Midden.

There is evidence that the Thule people may have met with Vikings who arrived in Canada in the 11th century as part of the Norse colonization of North America. In Viking stories, these people were called the Skrælingjar.

Later, some Thule people moved southward in what is called the “Second Expansion.” By the 13th or 14th century, they had taken over areas once lived in by the Dorset, and by the 15th century, the Thule had replaced them.

In the 18th century, Thule communities began to have more contact with Europeans. This happened during a cold period called the Little Ice Age between 1650 and 1850, which also caused changes in their way of life. Over time, these people became known as the Eskimo, a term that is now considered offensive, and later as Inuit and Yupik.

History

The Thule Tradition lasted from about 200 BC to 1600 AD around the Bering Strait. The Thule people were the prehistoric ancestors of the modern Inuit and Yupik peoples. They developed in coastal Alaska around 1000 AD and later moved eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. Along the way, they replaced earlier groups known as the Dorset culture.

The Thule people were skilled hunters who used kayaks and umiaks, which are skin-covered boats, for travel and fishing. They were also known for their advanced tools, including harpoons used for hunting large bowhead whales. Their culture included new ways of using iron and copper, which helped them create better tools and weapons.

Culture

The Thule people had a different way of living compared to the Dorset people. They were very good at hunting bowhead whales using big boats, and they traveled far using dog sleds. In areas where they hunted whales, Thule sites often had fifteen to twenty houses, and sometimes even sixty. These groups of houses likely housed big families together. They also had special buildings for ceremonies. Differences in the size and goods in their homes suggest that some families may have been more important than others. The Thule people also traded with others, as shown by small amounts of native copper from the western Arctic and meteoric iron from north-west Greenland.

Tools

The Thule people were skilled at making tools and art, and their different styles help us learn about their way of life. They were especially good at making tools for hunting and traveling. One important tool they used was the harpoon, made from whale bone, which helped them catch big fish like whales. They also made special floats for their harpoon lines to help catch larger animals. When they could find it, they used iron from meteorites, like the one from Cape York, for their tools.

Subsistence

The Classic Thule people relied on the bowhead whale for survival because these whales swim slowly and often rest near the water's surface. They used every part of the whale: the meat for food, the blubber for oil to light fires and cook, and the bones for building and making tools. In addition to whales, they also ate fish, large sea mammals, and caribou. Their advanced ways of traveling let them find many different foods. The Thule people worked together when hunting, sharing the whale they caught with their whole community. This teamwork helped them live well in the Arctic for a long time.

Sites and projects

Researchers have studied the Thule culture at many important places. Some of these sites include the Torngat Archaeological Project, Somerset Island, The Clachan site, Coronation Gulf, Nelson River, Baffin Island, Victoria Island, the Bell site, Devon Island – QkHn-12, and Cape York. These projects help us learn more about the Thule people and their history.

Genetics

See also: Saqqaq culture § Genetics, Dorset culture § Genetics, Birnirk culture § Genetics, Inuit § Genetics, and Sadlermiut § Genetics

A study from 2014 looked at the DNA of many Thule people who lived between about 1050 AD and 1600 AD. Most of them had a special type of DNA called A2a. The study showed that the Thule people likely came from the Birnirk culture in Siberia. They were very different genetically from the Dorset people who lived in northern Canada and Greenland before them. The Thule people replaced the Dorset people around 1300 AD, but there was no mixing with the Greenlandic Norse people.