Independence Fjord
Encyclopedia
Independence Fjord is a large fjord
in the eastern part of northern Greenland
. It is about 200 km (124.3 mi) long and up to 30 km (18.6 mi) wide. Its mouth, opening to Wandel Sea
of the Arctic Ocean
is located at 82°15′N 21°54′W. Jørgen Brønlund Fjord is a smaller fjord branching northwest from Independence Fjord.
In the area around the fjord are traces of two paleo-Eskimo
cultures known as Independence I culture
and Independence II culture
.
, there are remains of dwellings with elliptical floor plan, built by Early Paleoeskimo
Independence I culture. These people used tools made from rocks and bones, and subsisted from hunting wildlife like musk ox
en and arctic hare
s. Bones of musk oxen hunted down in Peary Land show that the area was inhabited at 2000 B.C. The oldest discoveries are dated at 2400 B.C. Discoveries of the time starting around 1800 B.C. until 1300 B.C. were mostly made south of Independence Fjord. It is unknown whether the Independence I culture vanished or the people moved south.
Discoveries of a later time, about 800 B.C. to 200 B.C., are related to the Independence II culture. Initially, Independence I and Independence II had been regarded as the same culture, but Eigil Knuth
found in 1956 that the two were separate cultures, because of different dwelling constructions, and differences in other artefacts. The residential dwellings of Independence II are more complex and larger than the older buildings in this area. Other than their predecessors, the people of Independence II also settled south of Independence Fjord.
In both cases it is unclear whether discoveries in other areas of North Greenland and on Ellesmere Island
should be attributed to other cultures.
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
in the eastern part of northern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. It is about 200 km (124.3 mi) long and up to 30 km (18.6 mi) wide. Its mouth, opening to Wandel Sea
Wandel Sea
The Wandel Sea is a body of water in the Arctic Ocean, stretching from northeast of Greenland to Svalbard. This arctic sea is located at 82° north longitude and 21° west latitude. Seas farther north and northwest of the Wandel Sea are frozen year-round. The Wandel Sea stretches as far west as Cape...
of the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
is located at 82°15′N 21°54′W. Jørgen Brønlund Fjord is a smaller fjord branching northwest from Independence Fjord.
In the area around the fjord are traces of two paleo-Eskimo
Paleo-Eskimo
The Paleo-Eskimo were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka in present-day Russia across North America to Greenland prior to the rise of the modern Inuit and/or Eskimo and related cultures...
cultures known as Independence I culture
Independence I culture
The Independence I culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture of peoples who lived in northern Greenland from 2,400 to 1,000 B.C. It is named after Independence Fjord. During this time they coexisted with the Saqqaq culture of southern Greenland...
and Independence II culture
Independence II culture
The Independence II culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that flourished in northern and northeastern Greenland , north and south of the Independence Fjord. The Independence II culture arose in the same region as the Independence I culture, which became extinct six centuries earlier...
.
History
The area has been the subject of research since the beginning of the 20th century. The first notable research results about traces of human settlement have been published in 1911 by Christian Bendix Thostrup as Ethnographic Description of the Eskimo Settlements and Stone Remains in North-East Greenland.Pre-history
North of the fjord, in southern Peary LandPeary Land
Peary Land is a peninsula in northern Greenland, extending into the Arctic Ocean. It reaches from Victoria Fjord in the west to Independence Fjord in the south and southeast, and to the Arctic Ocean in the north, with Cape Morris Jesup, the northernmost point of Greenland's mainland, and Cape...
, there are remains of dwellings with elliptical floor plan, built by Early Paleoeskimo
Early Paleoeskimo
The Early Paleoeskimo is one of three distinct periods of human occupation recognized by archaeologists in the eastern North American Arctic, the others being the Late Paleoeskimo and the Thule...
Independence I culture. These people used tools made from rocks and bones, and subsisted from hunting wildlife like musk ox
Musk Ox
The muskox is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives. This musky odor is used to attract females during mating season...
en and arctic hare
Arctic Hare
The arctic hare , or polar rabbit is a species of hare which is adapted largely to polar and mountainous habitats. The arctic hare survives with a thick coat of fur and usually digs holes under the ground or snow to keep warm and sleep...
s. Bones of musk oxen hunted down in Peary Land show that the area was inhabited at 2000 B.C. The oldest discoveries are dated at 2400 B.C. Discoveries of the time starting around 1800 B.C. until 1300 B.C. were mostly made south of Independence Fjord. It is unknown whether the Independence I culture vanished or the people moved south.
Discoveries of a later time, about 800 B.C. to 200 B.C., are related to the Independence II culture. Initially, Independence I and Independence II had been regarded as the same culture, but Eigil Knuth
Eigil Knuth
Count Eigil Knuth was a Danish explorer, archaeologist, sculptor and writer. He is referred to as the Nestor of Danish polar explorers. His archaeological investigations were made in Peary Land and adjacent areas of High Arctic Greenland...
found in 1956 that the two were separate cultures, because of different dwelling constructions, and differences in other artefacts. The residential dwellings of Independence II are more complex and larger than the older buildings in this area. Other than their predecessors, the people of Independence II also settled south of Independence Fjord.
In both cases it is unclear whether discoveries in other areas of North Greenland and on Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
should be attributed to other cultures.