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The Birnirk culture was a prehistoric Inuit culture of the
The Birnirk people lived in small single family dwellings containing either a long or short entrance that led to a single room with sleeping platforms. Houses lacked open fireplaces; instead, heat and light were provided by stone and clay lamps. Birnirk settlements are thought to have been small, with only a few families living in a settlement at a time. As such, the concept of the Birnirk people whaling is often debated. Most communities involved in whaling require several crews, which would have been difficult for the Birnirk as they had such small settlements. However, a whaling harpoon found in Utqiagvik, along with artifacts derived from whale parts found in other sites (baleen, whale bones, and the like) suggest that the Birnirk people were involved in some form of whale hunts. They were also known to hunt seals, caribou, birds, and fish using a variety of tools.
The Birnirk culture was a prehistoric Inuit culture of the north coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to :
Antigua and Barbuda
* Major Division of North Coast, a census division in Saint John Parish
Australia
*New South Wales North Coast, a region
Canada
*The British Columbia Coast, primarily the communiti ...
of Alaska, dating from the sixth century A.D. to the twelfth century A.D. The Birnirk culture first appeared on the American side of the Bering Strait, descending from the Old Bering Sea Old Bering Sea is an archaeological culture associated with a distinctive, elaborate circle and dot aesthetic style and is centered on the Bering Strait region; no site is more than 1 km from the ocean. Old Bering Sea is considered, following ...
/Okvik culture and preceding the Thule culture; it is distinguished by its advanced harpoon and marine technology.
A burial mound of the Birnirk culture was discovered in the town of Wales; 16 more have been found in Utqiagvik
Utqiagvik ( ik, Utqiaġvik; , , formerly known as Barrow ()) is the borough seat and largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it is one of the northernmost cities and towns in th ...
at the "Birnirk site
The Birnirk site ( Iñupiaq: ''Piġniq'') is an archaeological site near Utqiagvik, Alaska. It includes sixteen prehistoric mounds which have yielded evidence of very early Birnirk and Thule culture. It is the type site of the Birnirk culture, ...
," which is now a National Historic Landmark. An ancient Birnirk village has been found at present-day Ukpiaġvik.
Culture
The Birnirk people lived in small single family dwellings containing either a long or short entrance that led to a single room with sleeping platforms. Houses lacked open fireplaces; instead, heat and light were provided by stone and clay lamps. Birnirk settlements are thought to have been small, with only a few families living in a settlement at a time. As such, the concept of the Birnirk people whaling is often debated. Most communities involved in whaling require several crews, which would have been difficult for the Birnirk as they had such small settlements. However, a whaling harpoon found in Utqiagvik, along with artifacts derived from whale parts found in other sites (baleen, whale bones, and the like) suggest that the Birnirk people were involved in some form of whale hunts. They were also known to hunt seals, caribou, birds, and fish using a variety of tools.
Tools
A multitude of Birnirk instruments have been found. They were skilled seal hunters, known for their use of innovative equipment, such as ice scratchers to lure seals over frozen waters. They are characterized by the style of the harpoons they used for hunting seals and other marine animals; the heads of the harpoons were self-pointed and had a "single lateral barb and an opposing chipped-stone side blade inset". In addition to their harpoons, the Birnirk people were known for their use of ground slate weapons. These weapons include knives, blades, arrows, and spears, usually utilized in hunting terrestrial animals.Genetics
A genetic study published in '' Science'' in August 2014 examined the remains of five Birnirk people buried in Siberia between ca. 570 AD and 680 AD. The five samples of mtDNA extracted all belonged to haplogroupA2a
A2A S.p.A. is an Italian company, organised as a ''società per azioni'', that generates, distributes, and markets renewable energy, electricity, gas, integrated water supply, and waste management services. The company has significant presence in ...
. Haplogroup A2a was also the predominant maternal lineage among the Thule people. The genetic evidence suggested that the Thule people descended from Birnirk migrants from Siberia who entered northern Canada and Greenland some time after 1300 AD, where they completely replaced the genetically distinct indigenous Dorset people.
See also
* Ipiutak siteReferences
Sources
* Inuit history Archaeological cultures of North America Prehistory of the Arctic {{NorthAm-native-stub