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Canada / NU / SgFm-4 (Eskimobyen) / GSC-3379
- Lab number
- GSC-3379
- Material dated
- willow wood; bois de saule
- Taxa dated
- Salix sp. (12.0 g, id. by R.J. Mott)
- Locality
- about 25 km north of Skraeling Island on the north coast of Knud Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut
- Map sheet
- 39 G/01
- Submitter
- P. Schledermann
- Date submitted
- October 30, 0097
- Measured Age
- 920 ± 50
- Normalized Age
- 910 ± 50
- δ13C (per mil)
- -25.8
- Significance
- Neoeskimo, Thule, Ruin Island; Néoesquimau, Thuléen
- Stratigraphic component
- House 25
- Context
- House 25, central floor area, 52 cm depth, 9-10 m asl
- Comments
- SgFm-4, Eskimobyen: The site was utilized throughout the time span of the Thule culture occupation of eastern Ellesmere Island except perhaps for the very latest period. House ruins are clustered in four grassy gullies separated by low rock outcrops. Below the winter houses, there are caches, a fox trap, and several kayak and umiak stands near the shoreline. There are also five bowhead whale crania on or near the site. Of 27 house ruins, at least two (Houses 25 and 26) are related to the Ruin Island phase, the others belonging later in the sequence. Except for House 3, where a date on willow wood agrees with dates on mountain avens, it appears that willow often produces older dates than other plant species associated with it in this region. This may result from dead, dry willow having been selected for fuel whereas fresh mountain avens and Arctic heather was selected for bedding material. Schledermann (1980) describes Norse artifacts from Houses 1 and 3. BM-1753 dated a surface find to establish the rate of bone weathering in the Arctic environment.