PaleoEskimo

The Paleo-Eskimo refers to the earliest known inhabitants of the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. These prehistoric peoples inhabited the area for thousands of years, predating the later Thule culture, from which modern Inuit and Yupik peoples are descended. Archaeological evidence suggests that Paleo-Eskimo groups were highly adapted to the harsh Arctic environment. They were skilled hunters and fishermen, relying on marine mammals like seals and whales, as well as caribou and fish.

The term Paleo-Eskimo encompasses several distinct cultural groups, including the Saqqaq culture of Greenland, the Independence I and II cultures of northern Greenland and Ellesmere Island, and the Pre-Dorset culture found across the Canadian Arctic and Alaska. These groups developed unique tool technologies, often made from stone, bone, and ivory, including sophisticated harpoon points, scrapers, and knives. Their settlements were typically small and semi-permanent, often consisting of temporary shelters built from stone, sod, and animal hides, reflecting a mobile lifestyle dictated by resource availability. The precise reasons for the disappearance of various Paleo-Eskimo groups remain a subject of ongoing research, with theories including climate change, resource depletion, and assimilation by incoming populations.