Therkel Mathiassen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Therkel Mathiassen
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Mathiassen, ca. 1921
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| Born | 5 September 1892 Favrbo, Denmark
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| Died | 14 March 1967 |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Citizenship | Denmark |
| Known for | Thule culture excavation at "Naujan" (Naujaat) |
| Awards | Member of the initial Danish committee of Societas Arctica Scandinavica |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Arctic archaeology anthropology cartography ethnography writer |
| Influences | Knud Rasmussen |
| Influenced | Jørgen Meldgaard; Frederica de Laguna |
Therkel Mathiassen (born September 5, 1892, died March 14, 1967) was a Danish scientist. He studied the Arctic region. He was an archaeologist, anthropologist, mapmaker, and ethnographer.
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Exploring the Arctic
Therkel Mathiassen joined the Fifth Danish Thule Expedition. This trip was led by Knud Rasmussen. During his travels, Mathiassen gave small sewing tools called thimbles to the local Inuit people. Because of this, the Inuit gave him the nickname Tikkilik. This means "the one with the thimbles" in their language, Inuktitut.
First Digs in Canada
In 1922, Mathiassen started an important archaeological dig. He worked at a place he named "Naujan" (Naujaat). This was the very first archaeological dig in Canada's Arctic. It was also only the second time anyone had dug up a site from the Thule culture. The first Thule dig was in Greenland in 1916. Mathiassen carefully dug through layers of dirt and gravel. He uncovered parts of 12 old sod houses. He also found a "kitchen-midden," which is like an ancient trash pile.
Discoveries in Greenland
In 1929, Mathiassen worked on another dig in Greenland. This time, he was in a place called Inugsuk. He found signs of Norse culture there. The Norse were Vikings who settled in North America. A scientist named Frederica de Laguna helped him with this research.
Arctic Research and Legacy
Mathiassen was part of a group called Societas Arctica Scandinavica. This group focused on studying the Arctic. They looked at both human history and nature in the Arctic. Mathiassen wrote many books and papers. His work was very important. It helped start the modern study of Arctic archaeology.
His writings in the 1920s and 1930s introduced the idea of the Thule culture. This was a major step in understanding Arctic history. In 1932, he received the Hans Egede Medal. This award came from the Royal Danish Geographical Society.
