IDNO

P.86401.PAT

Description

An expedition member using an ice pick, probably on the excavation site marked out in P.86399.PAT.

Place

N America; Arctic; Canada; Nunavut; Ellesmere Island; Turnstone Beach [North West Territories]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

None

Collector / Expedition

Paterson, Thomas Thompson

Date

17 - 21 August 1937

Collection Name

Paterson Collection

Source

Paterson, Erik T.

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Image: Same image mounted in James Wordie’s 1937 album with the number and caption:
“August 17 - 21”
“607 & 8 - Leaf & The Professor wield a pick in frozen ground.”
See Related Documents File. [Jocelyne Dudding 7/3/2008]

Bibliographical Reference: J. M. Wordie; H. Carmichael; E. G. Dymond; T. C. Lethbridge, ‘An Expedition to North West Greenland and the Canadian Arctic in 1937’ in The Geographical Journal, Vol. 92, No. 5. (Nov., 1938), pp. 385-418.
Text on p.397 includes:
“From an early date our plans had included the investigation of abandoned Eskimo sites reported by various travellers on Ellesmere Land, and more particularly we had in mind to visit Buchanan Bay between Cape Sabine, where Smith Sound is at its narrowest, and Bache Peninsula. It is generally believed that this region is on the main route by which the Eskimo originally reached Greenland, but at what date and by what stages remains in doubt, and on this account archaeologists interested in Eskimo origins have for many years wished to visit Buchanan Bay. A successful investigation by digging must be made when the ground is least frozen and is therefore of necessity limited to the summer months, although a crossing of Smith Sound is much easier by sledging in winter. Such a summer visit demands both favourable ice conditions and a ship suitable for ice-navigation, and also a captain willing to take risks. ... We had a copy of Sverdrup's chart with us, but we found some difficulty in identifying the map representa-tion with features on the ground. An Eskimo village however was ultimately found with the remains of winter houses at a place which we ourselves have named Turnstone Beach, though there is now little doubt that this is the place to which Sverdrup fancifully referred as "Eskimopolis."
Our main investigations into Eskimo archaeology were made at Turnstone Beach, Lethbridge being in charge of the digging, aided by Paterson, Feachem, and Leaf. The length of time we should be able to stay was of course depen-dent on the ice conditions, and though these were at the outset favourable, a few hours might see a complete reversal of fortune. Lethbridge and his party were continuously at work on the 17th and 18th, and finally for a third day on the 19th.” [JD 2/7/2007]

P.86084.PAT to P.86583.PAT were found wrapped in the card now numbered C446/1/.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 7/2/2007]