Most pre-historical archaeological sites lack well-preserved organic artefacts because organic materials such as wood, bone, and DNA have been decomposed. However, at some archaeological kitchen middens in the Arctic, organic materials have been preserved due to a combination of high deposition rates, low or freezing temperatures and favorable hydrological (waterlogged) conditions. At these sites extraordinary and important organic archaeological materials have been found1 and the potential of these sites to provide further insight into the earliest human expansions and living conditions, are considered extremely important. Arctic ecosystems are expected to be subject to dramatic changes2 because future climate changes are predicted to be most pronounced at Northern latitudes3. Increasing temperatures cause longer periods of ground thawing and altered precipitation patterns may result in the drying of near surface layers. Both factors could accelerate the deterioration of organic materials and increase the risk of losing the unique information stored in these archaeological sites. This project investigates how changes in soil temperatures and soil water content affects the preservation of organic materials from a number of archaeological sites located along two climatic transects.

PI: Jørgen Hollesen

Site: Nuuk Area