A Ticking Clock? Preservation and Management of Greenland’s Archaeological Heritage in the Twenty-First Century

ABSTRACT

Evaluating the rate of deterioration at archaeological sites in the Arctic presents several challenges. In West Greenland, for example, increasing soil temperatures, perennial thaws, coastal erosion, storm surges, changing microbial communities, and pioneer plant species are observed as increasingly detrimental to the survival of organic archaeological deposits found scattered along the country’s littoral zones and extensive inner fjord systems. This article discusses recent efforts by the REMAINS of Greenland project for developing a standardised protocol that defines the archaeological state of preservation, the preservation conditions, and asset value of organic deposits. Special emphasis is given to the degradation of materials such as bone and wood that are historically observed to be well-preserved in Greenland but now currently at risk. The protocol provides a baseline for monitoring future changes and will assist archaeologists in Greenland with a procedure for documenting and predicting areas of increasing vulnerability due to a warming climate.

KEYWORDS:

• Greenland
• organic preservation
• climate change
• heritage management

Acknowledgments

We would like to sincerely thank the following individuals for their contributions and support to the REMAINS of Greenland project: Aart Kroon, Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, Anne Marie Eriksen, Rasmus Fenger-Nielsen, Emil Alexander Sherman Andersen, Bjarne Grønnow, and Roberto Fortuna are acknowledged for their participation in fieldwork and contributions to the protocol. The authors would also like to thank the students from Ilisimatusarfik, Ulunnguaq Nielsen Lyberth, Randi Sørensen Johansen and Jens Kanuthsen for their hard work and contributions to the fieldwork.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge financial support from VELUX FONDEN (33813).

Notes on contributors

Hans Harmsen

Hans Harmsen is an Archaeologist and Curator at the Greenland National Museum and Archives and holds an appointment of Research Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Jørgen Hollesen

Jørgen Hollesen is a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark specialising in climatology, geochemistry, soil processes, and environmental impact modelling in the Arctic.

Christian Koch Madsen

Christian Koch Madsen is an Archaeologist and Curator at the Greenland National Archives and holds a Postdoc at the National Museum of Denmark.

Bo Albrechtsen

Bo Albrechtsen is the Deputy Director of the Greenland National Museum.

Mikkel Myrup

Mikkel Myrup is a Curator at the Greenland National Museum and archives and a specialist in the application of UAV technology in the Arctic.

Henning Matthiesen

Henning Matthiesen is a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark working with the preservation of in situ archaeological remains. His research is focused on urban deposits, wetlands, and Arctic environments.