A Presentation, Peoples of the Arctic Options

[John_Sode]

July 26, 2005


This evening we had a chance to listen to a group of archeologists studying Greenlandic cultures. These archeologists also are exploring Arctic civilizations throughout the Arctic region. According to the presentation, the habitation of the Arctic regions may only be about 14,500 before present. This means that the Arctic has only recently been inhabited by human beings. The early inhabitants appear to have originated from Siberia, moved to Alaska, and then spread throughout the Arctic. There is evidence to suggest that some areas of the Arctic, such as Greenland, may have been originally inhabited as recently as 1000 years before present. One of the really interesting aspects of this research is that written historical records exist for some of the sites. This means that field discoveries can be correlated to other records. This recent inhabitation is extremely interesting and raises many intriguing questions. Although we did not get to visit any settlements outside the base, these views show a native hunting and fishing village that has been retuned by the United States to its original inhabitants.