Who Were the Thule?
The Thule people were the ancestors of all modern Inuit, originating in Alaska around 1000 CE and rapidly spreading across Arctic Canada to Greenland by 1300 CE, replacing earlier Dorset culture. The Thule developed sophisticated technology for hunting large marine mammals including bowhead whales, using umiaqs (large skin boats), harpoons, and organized hunting techniques. They lived in semi-subterranean sod houses in winter and skin tents in summer, created elaborate tool kits from stone, bone, and ivory, and maintained dog sleds for transportation. The Thule were ancestors of Inughuit, Canadian Inuit, and Greenlandic peoples. Archaeological sites throughout the Arctic preserve Thule material culture. The Little Ice Age beginning around 1400 CE forced Thule adaptation, leading to diversification into regional Inuit cultures.