Abstract

The Qikiqtaruk Archaeology Project was initiated in 1990 as an exploration of Inuvialuit prehistory and history on Herschel Island, northern Yukon Territory. Herschel Island is important to the development of Inuvialuit society for two primary reasons: 1) for much of the past millennium, the island was a centre of Inuvialuit settlement, trade, and interaction with Euroamericans; and 2) several archaeological sites on Herschel Island are relatively large and well-preserved, while virtually all other coastal sites on the Yukon North Slope have been lost to erosion. During three field seasons, nine Inuvialuit structures were completely excavated, ranging in age from the late Thule period to the early twentieth century. This report presents a preliminary description of four Inuvialuit dwellings which represent four different periods of occupation. The architecture, traditional artifacts, and imported Euroamerican trade goods recovered from each context provide an illustration of the changing nature of Inuvialuit society on Herschel Island.