Traces of an Ancient Footprint Emerge (Image Credits: Images.newscientist.com)
North-west Greenland – Paleo-Inuit explorers crossed more than 50 kilometers of frigid open water to set foot on previously uninhabited islands around 4500 years ago, revealing advanced early navigation in the High Arctic.[1]
Traces of an Ancient Footprint Emerge
Researchers stumbled upon the first signs of human activity on the Kitsissut Islands during surveys in 2019. These remote specks of land, also called the Carey Islands, lie within the Pikialasorsuaq polynya, a vast area of open water ringed by sea ice. The polynya itself had formed just around 4500 years earlier, based on marine sediment analysis.[1]
Teams identified five archaeological sites across three central islands: Isbjørne, Mellem, and Nordvest. A total of 297 features dotted the landscape, concentrated along beach terraces on Isbjørne. Among them stood 15 circular tent rings, each bilobate in design with stones dividing the space and a central hearth – hallmarks of Paleo-Inuit construction.[1]
Definitive Proof from a Bird’s Bone
A single wing bone from a thick-billed murre provided the smoking gun. Radiocarbon dating placed it between 4400 and 3938 years old, confirming human presence shortly after the islands became accessible.[1]
This seabird bone came from one of the tent rings, suggesting visitors hunted murres for meat and gathered their eggs from nearby nesting colonies. Seals likely fell prey to their tools as well. Matthew Walls, lead researcher from the University of Calgary, noted the abundance of murres: “People would have collected their eggs and hunted them for meat.”[1]
Such family-sized camps imply repeated visits by groups, not solitary hunters. The evidence paints a picture of organized expeditions to exploit marine riches in an otherwise barren environment.
Navigating a Formidable Ocean Barrier
The journey demanded crossing at least 52.7 kilometers from mainland Greenland, the shortest feasible route. Prevailing currents and winds forced voyagers to launch from northerly points, extending the trip but improving safety.[1]
No boat remnants survived the harsh conditions, yet experts infer larger skin-on-frame vessels. Archaeologist John Darwent of the University of California, Davis, emphasized this: “They did have to have some sophisticated watercraft… you’re not going to be able to take kids and maybe elderly across… with kayaks.” These craft could carry nine or ten people, accommodating entire families.[1]
Compared to the Bering Strait crossing – 82 kilometers with stepping-stone islands – this voyage stands out for its open-water audacity, achieved millennia before sails or compasses entered Arctic use.
Humans Shape a Fragile Ecosystem
Visitors transformed the islands’ ecology. Barren soils gained fertility from marine nutrients carried ashore and human waste, fostering unusual vegetation still evident today. This nutrient cycling underscores humanity’s deep ties to Arctic environments from the outset.[1]
Paleo-Inuit had already settled Greenland by this era. Their westward push to Kitsissut highlights a mobile culture attuned to sea-ice dynamics and resource hotspots. Ellesmere Island lay too distant and treacherous for origin, ruling it out.
Key Takeaways
- Paleo-Inuit tent rings and a dated murre bone prove visits 4400–3938 years ago, soon after the polynya opened.
- Family groups required large skin boats to traverse 50+ km of open sea from Greenland.
- Human activity kickstarted island ecosystems through nutrient import.
These findings, detailed in the journal Antiquity, reshape views of prehistoric Arctic mobility. Early seafarers proved remarkably adept at harnessing fleeting opportunities in a frozen world. What do you think about these ancient voyages? Tell us in the comments.
