Circumpolar History
Nunavut heritage sites face climate threat 
(CBC News, 28 January 2011) -- Nunavut archaeological sites threatened by climate change may be saved thanks to new high-tech equipment, says the territory's director of culture and heritage. Doug Stenton said new 3D technology and a ground-penetrating radar system can be used to quickly map the surface and sub-surface, and could be used to deal with sites affected by coastal erosion and melting permafrost. The University of Manitoba has received funding to buy the technology and plans to use it in the Arctic. "It will help us identify areas that need special attention...and help us plan strategies to protect the site, [such as] stabilization methods," Stenton said. He added that there are about 12,000 documented sites in Nunavut, dating back as many as 4,500 years. Discoveries can include stone tools, clothing, bone and stone carvings, and masks. As an example of a threatened site, Stenton pointed to photos of a site containing artifacts from the Tuniit or Dorset people, who predate the Inuit. A large section of the site near Pond Inlet, Nunavut, has washed into the ocean.
Posted 28 January 2011; 11:16:46 PM. Permalink
Tagged: Canada, Circumpolar History, Circumpolar News, Climate change response, Cultural Matters, Indigenous Issues, January11
email to: agra...@yukoncollege.yk.ca
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