NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: North Slave Region

Tags: archaeology, Copper Inuit

Objective(s): To examine variation in the archaeological record of the spatial and temporal context of copper from the Coronation Gulf region in the Canadian Arctic and Subarctic.

Project Description: The proposed research will examine variation in the archaeological record of the spatial and temporal context of copper from the Coronation Gulf (CG) region in the Canadian Arctic and Subarctic to answer questions about innovation in metallurgical technology among northern hunter-gatherers. Specific research questions to be addressed through spatial and contextual analysis include: (1) Does copper play a role as motivation for the Thule migration; (2) Does the context of copper technology vary between specific geographic locations with differing subsistence bases and technological requirements; (3) Do social and economic relationships affect the adoption, utilization, and distribution of CG copper; (4) In archaeological contexts containing CG copper and metal from other sources (Siberian trade iron, Norse trade metal, or Greenlandic meteoric iron), does the context of copper use differ from sites with only CG copper?; and finally (5) Is there a systematic way that northern hunter-gatherers engage with copper (synthesized from the previous 4 research questions and similar analyses from the western Subarctic) that will show broader patterns of technological innovation among hunter-gatherer groups? In the coming year the research team hope to visit 1-3 First Nations communities who have a historical connection to copper use in order to provide an interactive educational experience working copper. The research team have begun to investigate the community interest and necessary logistics. There will be hands-on copper-working demonstration in NWT and Nunavut communities. The research team is interested in discussing other possibilities as envisioned by archaeologists and community members in NWT and Nunavut. The team will also provide a demonstration of X-Ray Fluorescence(pXRF) technology to the Prince of Whales Northern Heritage Center staff. Results will be disseminated through a combination of: project website, sharing of published products, and presentations given to Arctic communities. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from February 16, 2015 to December 31, 2015.