Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Recent research has significantly revised our understanding of early Paleo-Inuit societies, showing they were more advanced than previously thought. A new study demonstrates that Paleo-Inuit people undertook remarkable and repeated voyages to the Kitsissut island cluster, located north of Greenland, thousands of years ago.
Archaeological findings reveal evidence of multiple prehistoric occupations in this remote area, suggesting that these early inhabitants were skilled seafarers who played a substantial role in shaping the early Arctic environment.
The first humans are believed to have arrived in the High Arctic region of Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) around 4,500 years ago, soon after glaciers retreated from the area. While it is evident that these populations adapted successfully to changing environmental conditions, limited archaeological preservation means that much about their broader ecological impact remains uncertain.
“While rare fragments confirmed they possessed watercraft, the full extent of their reach across different ecological systems—and particularly their ability to use these boats to interact with marine species—remained unclear,” says lead author of the research, Dr. Matthew Walls from the University of Calgary.
Credit: Antiquity (2026). https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10285
Researchers from the University of Calgary and Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland conducted an archaeological survey at Kitsissut, a cluster of islands north of Greenland, to investigate human influence on early Arctic ecosystems. During their study, they recorded nearly 300 archaeological features—including Early Paleo-Inuit tent rings and hearths—which indicate that people visited these islands repeatedly as far back as 4,500 years ago.
Kitsissut is located in the center of Pikialasorsuaq, a distinctive polynya environment between northern Greenland and Canada. Polynyas are areas of Arctic ocean that remain ice-free throughout winter. Accessing Kitsissut required crossing approximately 50 kilometers of open water—the longest such journey by watercraft inferred for this period anywhere in the Arctic—highlighting both the significance and challenges faced by early visitors to this region.
Bilobate tent ring with an axial feature at Isbjørne Island. Credit: Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10285
“That’s an extraordinary voyage in small skin-on-frame watercraft. It would have required facing erratic weather, strong crosswinds, powerful currents, and very high risk of being swept into the expanse of Baffin Bay,” Walls explains. “The fact that these early communities made this journey regularly—transporting families and supplies to access seasonal resources like seabird colonies at the islands—demonstrates a level of maritime skill that reshapes our understanding of this period.”
This proves that Paleo-Inuit communities were not limited to land-based or near-shore activities, indicating they bridged terrestrial and marine ecosystems at a very early stage of ecological development following glacial retreat.
“Our findings enhance the Indigenous story of High Arctic environments,” adds Walls. “Reaching Kitsissut required skills that would have been a defining part of social life, passed down and refined as each generation re-learned by going out into the sea to travel and hunt.”
Early Paleo-Inuit peoples had a significant relationship with the ecology of Pikialasorsuaq, enabling them to access marine mammals and seabirds even in its open waters. Their early interactions with these ecosystems played a crucial role in shaping the development of Inuit lands as they exist today.
The crossing between Kitsissut and the shores of Avanersuaq in northwest Greenland spans a minimum distance of 53 kilometers. This route provides a notable point of connection within the region, offering insight into the geography and travel considerations of this remote area. Credit: Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10285
Walls explains that by hunting, harvesting, and transporting marine nutrients onto land, these early navigators likely served as “ecological engineers,” much like seabirds. This highlights a longstanding and intricate relationship with Arctic ecosystems, demonstrating that these environments have consistently been shaped by Indigenous presence and stewardship.
Early Paleo-Inuit features on Isbjørne Island; A) location of site beneath the nesting cliff; B & C) sample of bilobate tent rings with axial features, which bisect the dwelling and include central hearths; D & E) Early Paleo-Inuit tent rings included adjacent dwelling structures or box hearths (figure by authors).
The researchers raise a number of interesting queastions in their study. “The ability to reach Kitsissut, and the technological, social and ecological implications of that ability, brings a new question into focus: were Early Paleo-Inuit not just adapting to ecological conditions but actively shaping them? Rather than viewing Early Paleo-Inuit occupations in the region as isolated instances of settlement in a geographical crossroads/gateway, Pikialasorsuaq could have been a centre of innovation, where communities and the environment were dynamically co-evolving. Could Pikialasorsuaq have been a place of development for cultural and ecological innovations that later spread into other regions?
Appat colonies at Kitsissut. Credit: Antiquity. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10285
The diverse lifeways that archaeologists have associated with Independence I, Saqqaq and Pre-Dorset are often assumed to represent discrete communities, yet their technological and behavioural strategies may have first developed in response to the challenges and opportunities presented during the polynya system’s formation.
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From the vantage of Kitsissut, we propose that, as Early Paleo-Inuit responded to the polynya’s shifting ice margins, species migrations and nutrient flows, they became part of the same emergent system, producing interdependent relationships that may still be in play today.
This emphasises that contemporary discussions on Arctic governance must not overlook the deeper history via which environments have emerged through Indigenous responsive actions and ecological creativity,” the scientists conclude in their study.
The study was published in Antiquity
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer