Thule People Conquered the Dorset

The Thule People Conquered the Dorset by 1000 AD On August 15, 1978, archaeologist Peter Schledermann excavated a Thule site in the Canadian Arctic, uncovering evidence of a violent clash between the Thule and Dorset peoples. Historian Robert McGhee, an expert on Arctic cultures, studied this site and others like it, piecing together the story of the Thule's expansion. In 985, Icelandic Viking explorer Bjarni Herjolfsson encountered the Dorset people in present-day Canada.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the Dorset and Thule coexisted peacefully in the Arctic, with the Thule eventually replacing the Dorset through a gradual process of cultural exchange and assimilation. The standard story goes that the Thule, with their advanced technology and more efficient hunting practices, simply outcompeted the Dorset, leading to the Dorset's decline and eventual disappearance. This narrative is based on incomplete excavations and a lack of written records from the time.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like McGhee and Schledermann have reexamined the evidence, revealing a more complex and violent history. In 950, the Thule began their expansion from present-day Alaska, driven by a need for new resources and territory. By 980, they had reached the Canadian Arctic, where they encountered the Dorset. The Thule people's use of iron tools, obtained through trade with the Vikings, gave them a significant advantage over the Dorset, who still used stone and bone tools. According to the writings of Viking explorer Leif Erikson, the Thule were skilled warriors who used their iron tools to deadly effect. McGhee's book, "The Paleoeskimo Peoples", details the archaeological evidence of this conflict, including the discovery of Thule and Dorset artifacts found together at sites like the one excavated by Schledermann in 1978. As the Thule expanded, they clashed with the Dorset, leading to the Dorset's decline and eventual disappearance by 1000 AD. The Viking sagas, medieval texts that tell the stories of Viking explorers, also provide evidence of the Thule's military prowess, describing their battles with other Arctic peoples. By 1000 AD, the Thule had become the dominant culture in the Arctic, their iron tools and military strength having given them a decisive advantage over their competitors.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Diamond Jenness and Vilhjalmur Stefansson deliberately downplayed the Thule people's role in the disappearance of the Dorset, focusing instead on environmental factors and the supposed "mysterious" nature of the event. The Canadian government and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society also contributed to the suppression of this story by funding research that emphasized the Dorset's alleged "decline" rather than their violent displacement. A key reason for this omission is the fact that the Thule people's expansion into Dorset territory was a complex and multifaceted process that did not fit neatly into the simplistic narratives of early 20th-century anthropology. Furthermore, the Thule people's own oral traditions and accounts of their conquests were not considered credible sources by many researchers at the time, leading to a lack of representation of their perspective in historical records.

The Ripple Effect

The Thule people's conquest of the Dorset had a direct impact on the modern Inuit communities that exist today, with many still living in the same regions and practicing similar cultural traditions. The displacement of the Dorset also led to the spread of Thule technology, such as the umiak and the qajaq, which became essential tools for the Inuit people. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the design of the contemporary kayak, which is based on the qajaq used by the Thule people. The Inuit communities in Canada and Greenland still use similar kayaks for hunting and transportation, demonstrating the lasting legacy of the Thule people's technological innovations.

The Line That Says It All

The last known Dorset settlement was abandoned by 1500 AD, marking the end of a distinct cultural tradition that had existed for over 2000 years.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Thule people and the Dorset culture in the Canadian Arctic.