Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Cultural and social strategies of human migration and mobility in the Arctic past  (Migrations and settlement patterns)

Outline
The concepts of migration and mobility are understood as expressions of conscious cultural strategies to be elucidated in archaeological as well as historical sources. Analysing the concept of seasonality and its relationship to climate change will help to gain a better idea of how each of these two levels of change over time drives the region’s distinctively high level of human movement.Modelling the relation between two senses of human migration: advance and retreat, and the cyclical seasonal migrations, encourages the understanding of underlying cultural, social and technological strategies in both Inuit and medieval Norse societies. A challenge for forthcoming research is to understand how the observed climatic fluctuations as seen from ice core analyses relate to historic and prehistoric climate changes observed on the ground level, on dynamics of animal populations and on human life in the Arctic.Based on new analyses of historical and ethnohistoric sources and data from natural sciences covering the period from the little ice age to present time, it is intended to develop a model facilitating an understanding of the long-term human responses to climate changes.The project will look into differences and similarities in the strategies applied by groups with the same cultural background but living in different regions and different cultures in the same regions by establishing synchronic episodes, and by analyzing data in a diachronic perspective in order to elucidate the dynamics in the strategies chosen throughout history and prehistory in as well a High Arctic as a Low Arctic environment.Using new archaeological and archival information including palaeoclimate, place names, living resources, local knowledge and topography, the project gives new insight into Arctic settlement patterns and migrations through millenniums.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
1. The study of historical and prehistoric Arctic migrations and settlement patterns creates the platform of the study of the present polar environmental status.2. The study reflects diachronic changes in the human environment.3. Knowledge of prehistoric migrations links the polar regions.4. Focusing Arctic past and present migrations and settlement patterns understood as expressions of conscious cultural strategies the project gives new insight in human society formation.5. From an archaeological point of view the Arctic preservation conditions create excellent natural preconditions for parts of the proposed research project.6. Focusing on human societies in past and present the project has an important element of educational activity and dissemination of cultural knowledge.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The project involves the Greenland Research Centre at the National Museum of Denmark, National Museum of Greenland, University of Copenhagen, University of Greenland, Upernavik Museum, Qaqortoq Museum, Greenland Geological Survey, University of Tromsø, University of Aberdeen, Memorial University St. John’s and Canadian Museum of Civilization.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Greenland, Canada and the North Atlantic, i.e. Scotland, Norway, the Faroes and Iceland.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/07-09/07      07/08-09/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Transport to and from the localities in question.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
NO

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Logistics depend on national policies for individual sites. Support can partly be provided by existing local museums and universities.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
YES - The project is part of the ongoing research at the National Museum’s Greenland Research Centre endorsed by the Danish Research Council and in cooperation with the in 1.7 mentioned institutions.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
YES

The project’s concept was part of the Dano-Greenlandic research programme 2000-2004 that if endorsed will become a centre of rotation in the 2005-2008 programme.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be coordinated from the Greenland Research Centre at the National Museum of Denmark in cooperation with the Greenland National Museum and the University of Greenland. Field courses, educational and publication programmes are in progress and will be available from 2006-07.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The EOC activities are fully developed when launching the project in 2007, and will take place through an international master programme in Arctic Archaeology at the University of Copenhagen, through archaeological field schools in Greenland and exchange students programmes, through intensively cooperation with local museums and universities, and through web-communication and publication in international series such as Monographs on Greenland (Meddelelser om Grønland).

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
As the project is based on museums, the data management will be part of the administrative work. Physical remains will after conservation handling also be stored electronically, written accounts will be accessible in paper reports and on the web, and publications be part of educational material.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding will partly be provided by the participating institutions and by the national research councils. The project is a part of the EUROCORES suggestion to the ESF ‘Histories from the North: Environments, movements, narratives’ submitted in October 2004 by a group of 175 social and human scientists.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This letter of intent expresses the ideas from a handful of projects sent to the Danish IPY committee from institutions in Denmark and Greenland.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Gulløv
National Museum of Denmark
Frederiksholms Kanal 12
DK-1220 Copenhagen K
Denmark

Tel: 45-33473220
Mobile: no
Fax: 45-33473322
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation