Port Refuge facts for kids

Port Refuge is a special place in Nunavut, Canada. It is found in a small bay on the south coast of Devon Island. This area is part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Sir Edward Belcher gave the site its name in 1852. He found a safe spot there to hide from moving ice. This was during his journey to find the lost Franklin Expedition.

Discovering Port Refuge

Port Refuge is very important for understanding history. It holds clues about people who lived in the High Arctic a very long time ago. These clues go back over 4000 years!

Ancient People Who Lived Here

Archaeologists have found signs of different ancient groups at Port Refuge. These include the Paleo-Eskimo and Pre-Dorset people. The earliest group, called the Independence I culture, lived here around 2000 BCE. That means 2000 years Before the Common Era.

Later, the Thule culture lived at Port Refuge. They were here from about 1200 CE to 1500 CE. CE stands for Common Era.

Traces of Trade

Near the entrance to the bay, there is a Thule winter village. It has five winter houses. Inside these houses, archaeologists found interesting objects. Some objects were from the Norse people. Others were in an Asiatic style.

These finds show that the Thule people traded with others. They likely traded with the medieval Norse colonies in Greenland. This tells us that people traveled and exchanged goods even in ancient times.

A National Historic Site

Because of its rich history, Port Refuge was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1978. This helps protect the site and its important archaeological findings.