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Settlements and Population of Greenland

Madison Fowler

Arizona State University

GCU 114: World Social Studies

September 8th, 2022

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Settlements and Population of Greenland

When researching a nation, one of the most important aspects of its development is the

settlements and characteristics of its population. Investigating why a population chose to settle in

a region, and how they arrived in that region are critical to determining why the civilization

either succeeded or failed in its quest to development. Equally as important to look at is who

makes up a population, what kind of skills they have, and whether or not they interact well with

others. These are all factors that go into the examination of national development and

achievement. Perhaps one of the most intriguing nations of which to study these factors is that of

Greenland.

Upon researching the various settlements and populations of Greenland, it is apparent

that the nation is one of mysterious origins. According to Dr. Erich F. Legner, the first

populations in Greenland were paleo-eskimo units: the Saqqaq and Independence I people in

approximately 2500 BCE, long before Europeans had knowledge of the existence of the large

island (n.d Greenland History). The term “paleo-eskimo” referring to those who inhabited North

America came before the Thule, who are considered to be the indigenous peoples of Greenland

responsible for the traditions most Greenlanders pass on today. This group, along with other Inuit

cultures are still very prominent members of Greenlandic society in modern times. Historians can

only speculate where the people of the Saqqaq and Independence I cultures derived from, or why

they chose to settle in one of the coldest climate regions of the world. However, it is claimed that

the Saqqaq originated from Siberia and Alaska, who then traveled along the Bering Strait to

settle in the western portions of Greenland (The Land of the ‘Icefjord People’). The Bering

Strait, in modernity, is a strait of water stretching from northeastern Russia to western Alaska. It

was believed that in ancient times this strait was a land bridge from eastern Europe to the
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western world. This still raises the question as to why the Saqqaq people chose to continue

across Canada to eventually settle in the southwestern coasts of Greenland. Given what

historians know about other indigenous peoples of North America, coupled with the Bering Strait

theory, it is not beyond one’s ken to believe that during the travels of the Saqqaq, there was

conflict amongst different native cultures. One can suspect that these conflicts forced them to

continue towards Greenland. Although, a key aspect to understand is that nomadic populations

were not uncommon during this time period.

Despite the difficulty in finding conclusive evidence for why the Saqqaq chose to depart

from their suspected origins, archaeological findings provide evidence of social structure and aid

to the understanding of why they may have chosen the coasts Greenland for their permanent

encampment. To enumerate, researchers have found an abundance of evidence for use of

Greenland’s raw goods by the Saqqaq, including minerals such as quartz and agate, as well as

“Finds of organic materials – wood, bone, antler, ivory, [seal and whale] skin – from

permanently frozen midden layers demonstrate the excellent Saqqaq craftsmanship as well”

(Saqqaq n.d). These findings, specifically that of the benefits of driftwood to the Saqqaq,

ultimately support the claims of Jared Diamond. In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond

proposes the theory that geography is a key determining factor for the advancement and success

of civilizations because by settling in areas where natural resources were in abundance,

civilizations could prioritize the specialization of skills (Guns, Germs, and Steel (1/3) - Out of

Eden [subtitles: EN, PT-BR] 2018). It is important to realize that, as a nomadic populous, the

Saqqaq people would undoubtedly have had to be skilled in the lifestyle of hunting and gathering

to guarantee their survival, especially given the climate of the lands they traveled across. If the

Saqqaq people had chosen to continue inland towards the center of Greenland, they likely would
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have not had the success in settling as they had along the coasts due to the ice sheet providing the

foundation for most of Greenland’s land mass. The decision to remain on the outskirts of the

land allowed for the Saqqaq to utilize the skills they had in hunting, including fishing, and

gathering. The discovery of quartz and agate tools and materials also suggested that the Saqqaq

people had some knowledge of mining. If these were not already skills they had developed prior

to Greenland settlement, their ability to develop them was heavily reliant on mother nature and

the luck of Greenland’s naturally existing geography making these regions rich for settlement.

It is unfortunate to say that the mystery of the Saqqaq does not end at their reasoning for

traveling to Greenland in search of settlement. It seems that the Saqqaq disappearance is just as

challenging for historians as their arrival. For reasons unknown, “all current evidence points to

the conclusion that they [the Saqqaq] disappeared from the west coast of Greenland completely

in the period 900 to 500 BC. Not a single site has been found with evidence of colonization in

this period” (Chapman n.d). With no evidence of colonization at this point, it is undeterminable

whether outside conflict from Europeans or other indigenous populations caused the

disappearance. However, the vanishment of this population of indigenous peoples over time

supports another one of Jared Diamond’s claims. Diamond states that farming is the only

sustainable method of cultivating a civilization, hunting and gathering is not enough (Guns,

Germs, and Steel (1/3) - Out of Eden [subtitles: EN, PT-BR] 2018). To re-emphasize, the Saqqaq

were likely experts at hunting and gathering. For the time they had settled in Greenland, this was

enough to sustain their population. However, Greenland’s land is not suitable for farming. The

climate makes growth nearly impossible due to cold weather. Additionally, with majority of

Greenland’s land mass being ice, there is not enough land with soil to have farms large enough

for feeding entire villages. These facts are not even taking into consideration that it was probable
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that the Saqqaq had no knowledge on how to farm. Therefore, by Diamond’s point, it was

inevitable that the Saqqaq civilization result in failure.

Despite the collapse of the Saqqaq culture, this was not the end for settlement in

Greenland. Other indigenous cultures quickly took control over the open land, including Dorset

and Thule cultures. Perhaps even more notable than the indigenous populations to follow in

settlement were the Vikings. A series of voyages in search of a free land led to the eastern and

western Viking settlements of Greenland’s coasts. Not surprisingly, the Norse (Icelandic and

Norwegian) Viking settlements mimicked those regions where the Saqqaq had settled thousands

of years before them. The reasoning behind settlement of Norse peoples in Greenland was

‘accidental’ discovery. To further explain, in the mid-980s, Erik the Red traveled to the nation by

chance on route to Iceland, in search of a new land to call home after being exiled from Norway

for manslaughter (Wallace 2019). The documents describing Erik the Red’s voyage are proof

that, unlike the Saqqaq, there is historical evidence about the decision for the Norse settle in

Greenland as opposed to elsewhere. During the settlement of the Norse, they managed to conjure

up what many refer to as their most successful outpost, only to abandon it in the end as a result

of a variety of factors including Greenland’s harsh cold climate, and the Black Plague ravaging

Europe making it unsustainable to import goods suitable to meet the lifestyles of the Norse in

Greenland (Abandonment of viking settlements in Greenland (c. 1450s) 2022). This once again

supports Diamond’s theories. The primary reason for the success of Norse settlement in

Greenland was availability of imported goods from the wealthy European mainland to the

settlements along the coast where shipping ports were easily accessible. When importation

collapsed, so did the Norse settlements.

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Due to Greenland’s climate and lack of suitable farming land, the civilizations that

attempted to rise from the settlements along the coast ultimately resulted in failure. This proves

that, just as Diamond suggests, geography is a key aspect for the advancement of civilization.

This is because geography is a defining characteristic for natural resources. In the final

examination, it appears that the study of Greenland population and settlement is almost a

textbook case for Jared Diamond’s theses.

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References

Abandonment of viking settlements in Greenland (c. 1450s). Climate in Arts and History. (2022,

June 2). Retrieved September 11, 2022, from

https://www.science.smith.edu/climatelit/abandonment-of-viking-settlements/

Chapman, P. (n.d.). - The Arctic Region of Disko - Early Colonisation of Disko. Mountain-

environment.com. http://www.mountain-

environment.com/Early_colonisation_of_Disko.pdf

Wallace, B. (2019, July 15). Erik the Red. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erik-the-Red

Guns, Germs, and Steel (1/3) - Out of Eden [subtitles: EN, PT-BR]. Youtube. (2018). Retrieved

September 10, 2022, from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR5KBTqq9QY&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=Not

aBene

The land of the 'Icefjord people'. GEUS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2022, from

https://eng.geus.dk/explore-geology/learning-about-geology/explore-ilulissat-icefjord/the-

land-of-the-%E2%80%98icefjord-people%E2%80%99

Legner, E. F. (n.d.). Greenland History. Inuit. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from

http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/vikings/Greenland%20History.htm#saqqaqculture

Saqqaq. Nationalmuseet. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2022, from

https://natmus.dk/organisation/forskning-samling-og-bevaring/nyere-tid-og-verdens-

kulturer/etnografisk-samling/arktisk-forskning/prehistory-of-greenland/saqqaq/