Arctic Purple Saxifrage

Silversea Expeditions: Prehistoric Cape Dorset Homes

It’s day five of our Arctic cruise with Silversea Expeditions, and today, we visited the prehistoric homes just outside of Cape Dorset.

The prehistoric homesites near Cape Dorset, also known as Kinngait in Nunavut, Canada, offer a remarkable insight into the life of the ancient Dorset people. This Paleo-Eskimo culture thrived from around 500 BCE to 1500 CE in the Arctic regions of North America, including parts of present-day Canada and Greenland. The Dorset people, named after Cape Dorset, where their artifacts were first discovered in 1925, were known for their distinctive tools, carvings, and semi-subterranean homes.

The Dorset people constructed their homes partially underground, utilizing the earth’s natural insulation to protect against the harsh Arctic climate. The structures were built by digging into the ground to create a foundation. Whale bones were then used to form the framework of the dwellings, which were covered with animal skins and sod to create a windproof and insulated shelter. The use of whale bones, a readily available material from their hunting activities, exemplifies their resourcefulness and adaptation to their environment.

In the photo above, you can observe the remnants of a prehistoric Dorset homesite. The image shows a circular depression in the ground, representing the semi-subterranean aspect of the dwelling. Surrounding this depression are numerous stones, which would have been used to anchor the structure and provide stability against strong Arctic winds. The landscape around the site is rocky and rugged, typical of the Arctic terrain, and the presence of a nearby water source suggests a strategic location for access to fresh water and fishing.

The Dorset people were primarily marine hunters, relying on sea mammals like seals and walrus for sustenance. Unlike their predecessors and successors, they did not use bows and arrows or boats, which limited their ability to hunt land mammals and navigate open water. Instead, they focused on hunting through holes in the ice, similar to polar bears. Despite their eventual disappearance around 1500 CE, possibly due to climatic changes and competition from the Thule people, the Dorset culture left behind a rich archaeological legacy that continues to provide valuable insights into their unique way of life.

Stay tuned for more of our exciting adventures as we report experiences from our 14-day Arctic cruise with Silversea Expeditions.

For more information or to book an exciting Silversea Expedition cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.

Note: Both photographs are courtesy of our Silversea Expeditions onboard photographer, Eric Duran.

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This article was written with the aid of Perplexity AI. Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an independent affiliate of Cadence and a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40