GREENLAND MUMMIES [Hardcover]

Jens Peder Hart Hansen (Editor), Jorgen Meldgaard (Editor), Jorgen Nordqvist (Editor), Jens Peder Hart Hansen (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 1991

How did they die? Why were they buried together? What had been the nature of their culture and beliefs? How had they survived in the harsh Arctic climate? To solve this icy mystery, a team of archaeologists, historians, and medical specialists used modern, innovative investigative techniques. They carried out their detective work with keen scholarly curiosity, combined with respect for these people of the past. While many puzzles have been answered, others remain unsolved. The investigation has revealed that the younger child was buried alive at the age of only six months, while the other, two and a half years old, had been born with Down's syndrome. Analysis of the hair of the mummies revealed evidence of air pollution at levels similar to those of today. Speculating on reasons for a mass grave -- a form of burial the Inuit normally used only because of some catastrophe -- the researchers have reconstructed the possible events of the past. The contents of the grave shed light on the every-day life of these people, allowing the investigators to place this evidence within the larger context of Thule culture and knowledge of Inuit contact with the Norse settlements which dotted the outer margins of Greenland during the medieval era. The Greenland Mummies brings the compelling story of this fervent collaboration to the attention of the world. Not only does it provide a fascinating and insightful look into the life and culture of the Inuit in the fifteenth century, it offers an impressive testament to one of the most successful archaeological investigations ever conducted.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Danish

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (April 17, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560980451
• ISBN-13: 978-1560980452
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,913,127 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > History > Americas > Greenland

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating view into primitive technology, May 1, 2001

By 

Patience H Mason (High Springs, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greenland Mummies (Hardcover)

I read this book several years ago and am now buying it because I just couldn't forget it. It explains the extremely sophisticated technology of the so called "primitive people" who lived in the arctic. American and British explorers were always freezing to death with their "advanced" civilization, while these people lived and worked skillfully and in tune with their environment. It is a lovely book, well illustrated and well written, too.