Jordan

Case Study -  Ancient Human Remains

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Oral Presentation by Jordan Watts
 The Inuit Mummies Of Greenland 

 When, Where, How the bodies were found?
On the 9th of October 1972, two brothers Hans and Jokum Grønvold were on are hunting expedition in a desolate area of Greenland. The long abandoned Qilakitsoq settlement is located on the western coastline of Greenland. As they climbed the rugged slopes of the former coastal settlement, they noticed two flat rocks that did not fit in with the surroundings. Out of curiosity, Hans moved one of the rocks uncovering what appeared to be a freshly dead corpse. The brothers ran off to find their frinds and they uncovered three more bodies wrapped in seal skin and hidden in a stone chamber about one metre deep. A further three female bodies were discovered in a gravesite nearby with spare clothing. The friends decided to rebury the bodies and forget them, however Hans took photographs and rushed to the althourities of the National Greenland Museum. The musesum didn't pay special attention to the pictures and they were stored away for the next five years.

Below s a map of the slopes where the eight Inuit Mummies were discovered.



Here is a map of Greenland. Note that Uummannaq on the Western coastline of Greenland is the nearest known map point of the Qilakitsoq settlement where the bodies were discovered. It is located about half-way up the west coast of Greenland, 590 kms north of the Arctic Circle, at 70º40'N,58º08'W.

How many mummies were found?
In total eight mummies were found at the sight. Six female adults and two male infant bodies were discovered in one locations, but in two seperate grave sites. The bodies in each grave site had very similar corpse set out, with bodies stacked one on top of the other ,with seal skin layers in between the bodies.

What are the conditions of the bodies today?
   The Inuit Mummies are quoted by the Nationa Museum of Greenland as"Natural Mummies" produced by freezing temperatures.The bitter cold and icy winds created conditions where the bodies have been freeze-dried. As a result the body tissue and clothing are hardly deteriorated. Left is a photograph of the smallest male infant. It is an example of how well preserved mummies were. The eyeles infant, was found with a fringe of black hair poking out from his fully intact sealskin parka. The body was shrivelled but also intact as were most of the mummies.

What is thought to be the cause of their death?
Historians only have a small understandidng of the cause of death to three of the mummies. For the others it is still a mystery for a couple of reasons...
 * The warm clothing which each mummy was found was made to Survive extreme temperatures. They children's clothing consisted the skins of baby seals with the fur facing inwards.
 * All of the mummies were well nourished in the period before their death surviving on mainly marine animals.
 * No significant medical problems affected the majority of the mummies.
 * There was no sign of physical trauma to any of the bodies (i.e broken skull, amputated limbs)

However there some clues that help historian guess what may have been the cause of death to some of the People.
 * The four year old revealed to be suffering from a deformed pelvis, Down Syndrome and and Calve Perthese a degenertative deasise (the thighbone doen't revieve enought blood causing the bone to die). this would have prevented him from walking.
 * One of the women also suffered from an unhealed fractured collarbone and Nasal Cancer which spread affecting her eyes and ears.
 * They youngest child was buried alive which was an inuit custom if a mother could not be found to care for the orphaned child.

Profiles of the mummies


Gender ||  Cause Of death ||  Approximate age || Fractured Collarbone || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">40-50 years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Cave No. (1/2) || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Male || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Buried alive || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">6months old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Male || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Down Syndrome, || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">4 - 4.5 years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Unknown || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">20-30 years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Unknown || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">25-30 years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">1 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Nasal Cancer + unhealed
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">2 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Unknown || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">50+ years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">2 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Unknown || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">18 - 21 years old ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">2 || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Female || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Unknown || <span style="display: block; font-size: 140%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">50+ years old ||

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #ff00ff; text-align: center;">

What Scientific Methods were used to study the remains of the Inuit Mummies?
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msoansilanguage: EN-AU; msofareastfontfamily: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman';"> The bodies of the Greenland Mummies were extremely fragile and thus limiting tests that experts could preform. Also the Greenland National Museum wished to put them on permant display so experts did not even remove their clothing. They were taken to Copenhagen in Denmark were researchers spent 3 years studying the bodies through...
 * X-raying the mummies
 * By using Carbon Dating they dicovered the mummies were buried in 1745 AD
 * Fingerprint samples were taken
 * Hair, skin, fingernail and clothing samples were taken to the lab to be analysed

<span style="font-size: 200%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; background-color: #ff00ff;">What has been learnt about the past from studying the remain of the inuit mummies? As the bodies were so well preserved researchers have been been able to complete extensive research giving scientists, historical and scienfic insight into the Inuit Culture and it's people.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">the history of Greenland and its people
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">State of health of mummies at the time of their death
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Lifestyles of the Inuit People
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Rituals eg.tatooing, burial rituals etc
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Relationships between corpses
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Ability to survive harsh extremes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Diet of the inuit culture inorder to survive extreme weather conditions
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Rituals of the Inuit Culture.

media type="youtube" key="x5R6dX-zpTA" height="265" width="320"s (IMAGES) [[http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.taylor-film.com/im28.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.taylorfilm.com/greene.htm&usg=__qf4TNB68xXTBAVMV_Rzfvk5zgNg=&h=108&w=192&sz=4&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=bMtH46ddhQMIdM:&tbnh=58&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bgreenland%2Bmummies%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1|http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.taylor-film.com/im28.jpg&imgrefurl=

http://www.taylorfilm.com/greene.htm&usg=__qf4TNB68xXTBAVMV_Rzfvk5zgNg=&h=108&w=192&sz=4&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=bMtH46ddhQMIdM:&tbnh=58&tbnw=103&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dthe%2Bgreenland%2Bmummies%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1]]

(N.A), (N.D), Retreived March 9, 2009, from - []

(Video) Greenland mummies(Video), (N.D), Science Tv, Greenland, (N.C.) []

(Source 1) Reime, E., 1999, The Greenland Mummies in Qilaqitsoq, Retreived: March 9, 2009 from - [] This website is moderately useful studying the Greenland mummies. The website page is a secondary, public source produced to inform an interested audience about tattooing from a historical point of view. From this information, a historian can gain an understanding of the following things. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· An insight into Inuit lifestyle <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· They demonstrate tribal custom and origins. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· A visual image of these facial markings Limitations <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· A very limited topic of the Inuit Culture <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· Vague information and notes <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· No listed Author <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· No Date Recorded Date <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU; msobidilanguage: #0858; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msobidifontsize: 13.0pt; msolist: Ignore;">· Photographs only benefiting the website information Historians studying the Inuit Culture Would have to refer to other sources of information, this sources greatest asset are photographic.

Source 1. Reliable studying the Inuit Mummies for a few reasons...

But, no a proper perspective, no listed author or recorded date. The motive appears to only inform the historian/ audience of the Inuit Mummies and their culture. Comparing it to other sources, we note this information can be found in other websites on the same topics. The historian from wider knowledge knows that the information of the facial tattoos in the Inuit culture is correct but would need to refer to other sourced to gain a better understanding of the topic. (Source 2)

The Qilakitsoq Mumies (Natural Ice Mummies found in Greenland) Sheldon,N. , 2008, The Qilaqitsoq Mummies, Retrieved: 1/3/09, from - [] This is extremely use ful to an historian studyinf the Inuit mummies for the following reasons... Limitations include Lack of photograghic evidence to assist in visualization of information.
 * The website was produced in 2008 last year
 * It describes the anaylisis of the mummies, their heath, the tattoos,their activites in life, the relationsip between them and their reason for death.
 * The website is clear and concise, well structured and catorgorised.
 * Website listed its primary source
 * An excellent basic of information, to build further reasearch
 * Websites notes most major features but lacks solid detail

The Greenland Mummies in qilaqitsoq, 2001, retreived March 1, 2009, from - [].

The Qilaqitsoq Mummies, July 2003, Retreived Febuary 28, 2009, From -[]

Qilaqitsoq- The Home of the Greenland Mummies, (n.d), Retreived Feb 28, 2009, from - []