Chosen by:
Pat Freeman, Museum Registrar
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Muskox near the Lagoon Site (photo: C. Arnold)
"From the first time I saw these unique objects from the Lagoon site over twenty years ago, I hoped there would be an opportunity to put them on public display for everyone to enjoy. These objects survived more than 2,000 years because they were buried in permafrost. It is wonderful that a rare little boot can lead us back to people in another time and place."

Discovery

Many people have lived on Banks Island in the Western Arctic through time and used local resources to produce objects for everyday use and survival. The Lagoon site on the southern coast of Banks Island is one of the ancient camps where these nomadic people lived. From early spring to late summer, their stay near a saltwater lagoon provided a rich environment with abundant supplies for their lifestyle.

The archaeological site at Lagoon was discovered in 1976 on the south coast of Banks Island near the mouth of the Masik River. It was excavated through the 1976 and 1977 field seasons. Dating back to the 5th or 4th century BCE and the early Dorset period, artifacts from this study have been conserved and stored at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Reference

Arnold, Charles D. 1980. A Paleoeskimo Occupation on Southern Banks Island, N.W.T. Arctic 33(3): 400-426. [PDF]