Thule people

The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit and Yupik peoples. They started 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.

The name “Thule” comes from a place called Thule, now known as Pituffik, in northwest Greenland. This area faces Canada, and archaeologists found Thule remains 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 south 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. 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 started in coastal Alaska around 1000 AD and later moved eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century.

The Thule people were skilled hunters who used kayaks and umiaks 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 make better tools and weapons.

Culture

The Thule people lived differently from the Dorset people. They were skilled at hunting bowhead whales with large boats and traveled far using dog sleds. In places where they hunted whales, Thule sites often had between fifteen and twenty houses, and sometimes even sixty. These groups of houses probably sheltered large families together. They also had special buildings for ceremonies. The size and goods in their homes suggest that some families might 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 good at making tools and art. Their tools tell us about their lives. They made tools for hunting and traveling. One important tool was the harpoon, made from whale bone. It helped them catch big fish like whales. They also made special floats for their harpoon lines. When they could, they used iron from meteorites, like the one from Cape York, for their tools.

Subsistence

The Classic Thule people depended on the bowhead whale to survive because these whales move slowly and often stay 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. Besides whales, they also ate fish, large sea mammals, and caribou. Their good travel skills helped them find many foods. The Thule people worked together when hunting, sharing the whale they caught with everyone in their community. This teamwork helped them live well in the Arctic for many years.

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 Thule people who lived between about 1050 AD and 1600 AD. Most 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 from the Dorset people who lived before them in northern Canada and Greenland. The Thule people replaced the Dorset people around 1300 AD, but they did not mix with the Greenlandic Norse people.