Ph.D. student: Angutinnguaq Olsen, Ilisimatusarfik, Institute of Culture, Language & History
Granted amount: DKK 2.268.000

Project description:

The PhD project Aaffaq is about some of the most fascinating traces of past hunting communities in the Arctic: the large stone structures used for communal reindeer hunts. In Greenland and Arctic Canada, you can still find cairn systems that extend over several kilometers and stone fences hundreds of meters high. These constructions tell of a time when cooperation, planning and knowledge of nature were absolutely crucial for survival.

Although the structures are visible in the landscape, it is not yet known exactly who built them or when they were put into use. Was it the earliest settlers in Greenland, or later Inuit communities? To find answers, the project combines archaeological studies, analyses of reindeer bones, scientific dating and Greenlandic oral tales.

The project is based on several theoretical perspectives that help us understand the behavior of both humans and animals. Subsistence economics focuses on the relationship between hunting and the environment – ​​communal hunts worked especially well when the reindeer population was high. Ethology, the study of animal behavior, explains why the facilities are often located along known migration routes, where the reindeer could be driven into the traps. Mobility theory shows how people moved between the coast and inland to make the best use of resources. At the same time, analyses of tools and building practices provide insight into technological development and variations between different societies.

As an active hunter, the author of the project has experienced how these facilities are still recognized by trappers today – but their history is rarely part of our consciousness. This is precisely why Aaffaq is not only about archaeology, but also about cultural heritage and identity. When you understand how previous generations organized themselves, cooperated and adapted to major changes, you can also better understand ourselves today.

The results of the project will give us a new timeline for the development of reindeer hunting in Greenland and Arctic Canada. At the same time, they point to something more timeless: that community, knowledge and innovation have always been central resources in the Arctic. At a time when Greenland is facing climate change and social transformation, the experiences of the past can provide inspiration for how to meet the challenges of the future.

Aaffaq is therefore both an archaeological study and a story of human adaptation. It bridges the gap between the remains of the past and the present need for insight into cooperation, sustainability and resilience in the Arctic.