Paleo-Eskimo facts for kids

The Paleo-Eskimo (also called pre-Thule or pre-Inuit) were ancient people who lived in the Arctic region. They spread from Chukotka in Russia, across North America, all the way to Greenland. These groups lived there before the modern Inuit people arrived.

The first known Paleo-Eskimo cultures appeared around 2500 BCE. Over time, new groups replaced them in most areas. The last major Paleo-Eskimo culture was the Dorset culture, which disappeared around 1500 CE.

Some important Paleo-Eskimo groups included the Pre-Dorset people and the Saqqaq culture in Greenland. There were also the Independence I and Independence II cultures in northeastern Canada and Greenland. The Groswater people lived in Labrador, Nunavik, and Newfoundland. The Dorset culture was the last large Paleo-Eskimo group. They lived across the Arctic before the Thule arrived from Alaska. The Thule people are the ancestors of today's Inuit.

Understanding the Name "Paleo-Eskimo"

The term "Paleo-Eskimo" is often used by scientists. However, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) has suggested using "Inuit" and "Paleo-Inuit instead. This is because the word "Eskimo" can be seen as disrespectful by some.

Many archaeologists agree that using "Eskimo" terms can harm relationships with Inuit communities. They are often research partners. Scientists are still discussing the best new term. Some ideas include "Paleo-Inuit," "Arctic Small Tool Tradition," or "pre-Inuit." Some also suggest using Inuit words like "Tuniit" or "Sivullirmiut."

In Alaska, it is harder to find a new name that everyone agrees on. This is because many Native Alaskans do not use the word "Inuit" to describe themselves. So, terms like "Paleo-Inuit" might not work there.

Ancient Arctic Cultures

Scientists group many Paleo-Eskimo cultures under the name Arctic Small Tool tradition (ASTt). This tradition includes several cultures found in Alaska, such as the Denbigh, Choris, Norton, and Ipiutak cultures.

In the Canadian Arctic and Greenland, ASTt cultures include the Saqqaq, Independence, Pre-Dorset, and Dorset cultures. It is thought that the ASTt began in East Siberia. This happened between 6,500 and 2,800 years ago.

How Bows and Arrows Helped Spread Cultures

The Paleo-Eskimos spread quickly from Alaska to Greenland and Labrador. Their use of bows and arrows might have helped them do this. They are believed to have brought this technology to people in Eastern Canada by 2000 BCE.

First Ancient Human Genome Discovery

In February 2010, scientists made an amazing discovery. They were able to sequence the genome of an ancient human for the first time. A genome is like a complete set of instructions for building a living thing.

Scientists used tiny pieces of 4,000-year-old hair. This hair belonged to a Paleo-Eskimo man found in Greenland. He was believed to be from the ancient Saqqaq culture. Researchers from the National Museum of Denmark and the Beijing Genomics Institute worked together. They sequenced almost 80% of his genome.

What We Learned from the Genome

Based on the genome, scientists believe a separate group of people migrated from Siberia to North America about 5,500 years ago. This migration was different from earlier ones. Those earlier migrations led to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It was also separate from the later migration of the Inuit.

By 4,500 years ago, the descendants of this migration had reached Greenland. The hair used for the study was found in an area where the Saqqaq culture lived.

Scientists named the man "Inuk," which means "person" in the Inuktitut language. His genome showed he had A+ blood type. It also showed he had genes that helped him live in cold weather. He likely had brown eyes, brownish skin, and dark hair. He probably would have gone bald later in life. This was a huge step in science. It was the first time an ancient human's full genome was sequenced.

Connections to Other Ancient Peoples

A 2017 study found that Paleo-Eskimo ancestry is present in Athabaskans and other Na-Dene-speaking groups. This means that Paleo-Eskimo people lived alongside the ancestors of Na-Dene groups for thousands of years. This discovery suggests a genetic link between Siberian and Na-Dene populations, with Paleo-Eskimos playing a role.

Generally, Paleo-Eskimos had a mix of ancestry from Beringia (which includes Chukotko-Kamchatkan and Eskimo-Aleut groups), Siberia, and Southeast Asia.

Some scientists, like David Reich, think that Paleo-Eskimos might have helped spread the Na-Dene languages into the Americas. If true, this would mean Paleo-Eskimos were culturally and linguistically related to Na-Dene peoples.

In 2019, scholars suggested that Paleo-Eskimo people were ancestors of modern Na-Dene-speaking peoples. They also found a connection to Eskimo-Aleut speakers. This connection was not direct but came through an intermediate group called 'Neo-Eskimo.'

Later, the Old Bering Sea archaeological culture developed. This happened because tribes linked to the Arctic Small Tool tradition moved back and forth across the Bering Strait. These groups mixed with Chukotko-Kamchatkan speakers from Siberia. Eventually, the Old Bering Sea culture became the ancestor of the Yupik and Inuit people, who speak Eskimo–Aleut languages.

Genetic Discoveries

A genetic study published in the journal Science in 2014 looked at the remains of many Paleo-Eskimos and Thule people. The study found that most Paleo-Eskimos belonged to a maternal genetic group called haplogroup D. The Thule people, however, mostly belonged to haplogroup A.

This evidence suggests that the ancestors of the Paleo-Eskimos migrated from Siberia to North America around 4000 BCE. After this, they mostly stayed genetically isolated. By 1300 CE, the Paleo-Eskimos had been completely replaced. This replacement was by the Thule people, who are the ancestors of the Inuit. The Thule people came from the Birnirk culture of Siberia.

See also

In Spanish: Paleoesquimal para niños