Makivik Magazine Issue 101

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The last week
was a frantic
one amazing
discovery after
another.
evenings, early mornings with small eyes, but also a series of
amazing discoveries. In the middle of the Inuit winter house,
under a series of layers containing mainly Dorset artefacts,
bones and burn fat, we discovered a layer of fresh bones lying
just on the surface of the floor. The bones are so fresh that some
still show signs of putrefaction. Among them was an amazing
piece, a handle, probably of a panak (snow knife), with an
incised motif. Finally, just before we left this Friday, we found a
piece of fur skin underneath.
One of the questions archaeologists most
often get is: “What would you consider an
amazing discovery?” Probably the best answer
is, “The unexpected.”
Week 5 (August 11-17): Skin Care and Display
The last week was a frantic one amazing discovery
after another. With these discoveries comes the
responsibility of preserving and of properly recording each of them.
Caring for hairy rotten skin, just unfrozen after hundreds of years,
was a problem we had to face after unearthing patches of skin fur
stuck onto the paved stone floor
of the excavated qarmaq (sod
house). Jessica slowly detached
the bottom of the skin from
the stone and slid plastic
underneath it. It was then
possible to slide a plastic
board and lift it.
Two activities were
held during the final week
of our excavation. First,
on the previous Sunday,
a religious service was
The bones
are so fresh
that some still
show signs of
putrefaction.
organized on the island followed by
a guided tour at the site by Avataq
archaeologist, Tommy Weetaluktuk.
A presentation of the preliminary
results from the excavation and an
exhibit of artefacts were also organized
on Friday at the Tukisiniarvik
School. Numerous people attended
the two activities. Among the items
on display were some of the last
week’s discoveries, including a
stone knife with a wooden handle,
a needle, a baleen string with
a knot, a large harpoon head, and
a wooden doll.
MAKIVIK mag a zine
97