Abstract

The Kangirsujuaq region, Nunavik, is a unique area where prehistoric rock-art sites can be found in the Canadian Arctic. In fact only four petroglyph sites have been identified so far, all located along the north-east coast of Ungava peninsula. One of those sites, Qajartalik (JhEv-1), was first studied during the 1960's by the anthropologist B. Saladin-d'Anglure, who counted 94 different petroglyphs and interpreted them as being a Dorset production. Comparing their formal elements, Saladin-d'Anglure identified two distinct types, and a few sub-types. Neither this typology nor the methodology applied were ever critically re-examined thereafter (e.g. Taçon 1993), leaving some discrepancies in the archaeological interpretation of the site. Recent research has led to a reassessment these petroglyphs, and also to the discovery of more than 80 new motifs. At first sight, all depict human-like heads facing on. However, a close examination allows to distinguish at least seven different types of faces. Moreover facial details are sometimes explicit enough that one can interpret some distinct expressions - suggesting astonishment, sorrowness and so on - from one engraved figure to another. Without doing any psychological interpretation, this paper will present a proxemic analysis, along with a typological one, which could help to get better insights into the mimicry that Dorset people could have used for non-verbal communications in some specific contexts.