FkBg-3 House 3:
Inside a Labrador Inuit Sod House
The Inuit in Labrador traditionally lived in sod dwellings during the winter and skin tents during the summer. Huntingdon Island 5, FkBg-3 is located on Indian Island in Sandwich Bay, Labrador. The site contains at least six tent rings and the remains of five houses, ranging in date from the early to mid-sixteenth century thru the eighteenth century.
House 3 at FkBg-3 was excavated in 2010 by Phoebe Murphy (Memorial University). The house is representative of the "Communal House phase", a time when the Inuit shifted from small, single-family dwellings, to larger dwellings that housed multiple families. Analysis of the 753 artifacts recovered during excavation indicates that the house was occupied sometime between 1720-1750. Both Inuit and European artifacts were found, but perhaps the most interesting are the European artifacts that were modified to meet the needs of the Inuit. Enjoy this online exhibit displaying some of the most exciting artifacts recovered!
(For Full Screen view click on four arrows link at bottom right of above image.)
References:
Harley Eber, Dorothy. 1989 When the Whales Were Up North: Inuit Memories from the Eastern Arctic. McGill-Queens University Press, Montreal.
Murphy, Phoebe 2012 The 'Communal House Phase' in Southern Labrador. Occasional Papers in Northeaster Archaeology No. 19. Copetown Press, St. John's.
Taylor, Garth J. 1988 Labrador Inuit Whale Use during the Early Contact Period. Arctic Anthropology. 25(1):120-130.
*All information and interpretations found in this website are taken from Murphy 2010 unless otherwise specified. Artifact photos courtesy of Phoebe Murphy.
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