EEN BIOLOGISCH-ARCHEOLOGISCHE VERKENNING VAN DE NOORDKUST VAN PEARY LAND, GROENLAND

Samenvatting

In 1999 an archaeological survey was carried out in the northem part of Peary Land, Greenland, to search for remains of hunter-gatherers of the lnde­pendence culture (2500-2000 BC). Remains of this culture were found along Independence Fjord by Eigil Knuth during his Peary Land Expedition in 1948. Apart from two possible sites near Frigg Fjord, found by Knuth, and one possible site in the valley of Ammalortoq east of Kap Morris Jesup, found by Dennis Schmitt, no other sites of this cul­ture had been found in northem Peary Land. Owing to a late start of the arctic summer of 1999, unfortu­nately no landing was possible at the planned land­ing spot near Frigg Fjord. The plane had to continue to Kap Morris Jesup and landed there. Perforce the archaeological survey was carried out on the north coast of Greenland, about 50 km north of the intended region. In this area no lndependence sites were identified. Even in places ideal from a hunter­gatherer perspective, such as the surroundings of Lake Ammalortoq and the Sifs Trenche area, no sites were found. The biological survey of the study area made it clear that no hunter-gatherers could survive on the areas current natural resources.