By Pierre M. Desrosiers, Archaeologist, Avataq Cultural Institute
This summer, the Avataq Cultural Institute Archaeology department will be conducting the second phase of research in Inukjuak related to the International Polar Year (IPY). The research team will include some 20 members, mainly from Inukjuak. The main objective of this phase will be to continue the excavation of subterranean houses at the IbGk-3 site (Drayton Island). The team hopes to better document the ways of life of the Inuit ancestors including the building techniques employed in the making of winter houses. Another objective will be to better document the raw lithic material, in particular the siltstone, a material largely employed for stone tool making in the region.
The preliminary results of the first phase of this research (summer 2007) can be consulted by visiting our IPY webpage dedicated to this project:
International Polar Year (IPY)