Qilakitsoq
Encyclopedia
Qilakitsoq is an archaeological site
on Nuussuaq Peninsula
, on the shore of Uummannaq Fjord
in northwestern Greenland
. Formally a settlement, it is famous for the discovery of eight mummified
bodies in 1972.
.
The mummies in the first grave included three women stacked on top of each other with a boy on top and a beautifully preserved baby on top of them all. A nearby grave contained three more women piled on top of each other. Both pits were covered in stones, the placement of which alerted a pair of brothers who were out hunting. After turning over a few stones, the brothers found the mummies, re-closed the grave and alerted authorities. However, it took until 1977 before the authorities investigated the find.
Along with the mummies in the graves were 78 pieces of clothing made from seal, reindeer and other skins, some of which displayed a sense of fashion. The boy had features which may have been symptoms of down syndrome
, and five of the six adult females bore faint facial tattoos. The baby is the now famous representative of the group, and may have been placed alive into the grave if its mother had died, as was customary in Eskimo culture.
DNA test showed relative close family connection of all the mummies.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
on Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a large peninsula in western Greenland.- Geography :The waters around the peninsula are that of Baffin Bay. To the south and southwest the peninsula is bounded by Disko Bay, an inlet of Baffin Bay. It is separated from Qeqertarsuaq Island by Sullorsuaq Strait which...
, on the shore of Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
in northwestern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. Formally a settlement, it is famous for the discovery of eight mummified
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
bodies in 1972.
Archaeological finds
The bodies were found in an icy tomb, the remains dated to 1460. Four of these bodies were preserved in extremely good condition due to being buried under a rock in cold temperatures with a steady cold breeze always blowing. In essence, they were freeze driedFreeze drying
Freeze-drying is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable material or make the material more convenient for transport...
.
The mummies in the first grave included three women stacked on top of each other with a boy on top and a beautifully preserved baby on top of them all. A nearby grave contained three more women piled on top of each other. Both pits were covered in stones, the placement of which alerted a pair of brothers who were out hunting. After turning over a few stones, the brothers found the mummies, re-closed the grave and alerted authorities. However, it took until 1977 before the authorities investigated the find.
Along with the mummies in the graves were 78 pieces of clothing made from seal, reindeer and other skins, some of which displayed a sense of fashion. The boy had features which may have been symptoms of down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
, and five of the six adult females bore faint facial tattoos. The baby is the now famous representative of the group, and may have been placed alive into the grave if its mother had died, as was customary in Eskimo culture.
DNA test showed relative close family connection of all the mummies.