Arctic Mariners: 4,500-Year-Old Paleo-Inuit Communities Discovered on Kitsissut Islands

Archaeologists surveying Greenland’s Kitsissut (Carey Islands) found nearly 300 ancient features, including a cluster of 15 Paleo-Inuit dwellings on Isbjørne Island, dating to about 4,000–4,475 years ago. The findings indicate repeated, lengthy open-water journeys from Greenland’s mainland to Kitsissut during brief Arctic summers, revealing a highly skilled seafaring culture and suggesting Kitsissut was a returning hub for resources like seabird eggs, not just a one-off crossing.