Pre-Dorset

Pre-Dorset appears on the timeline as a people or culture of Arctic and Greenland (North America) from c. 2500 to 500 BCE, a span of 2,000 years. Its people spoke Eskimo-Aleut languages (Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Thule, Dorset (Paleo-Eskimo)).

Paleo-Eskimo hunters of the Canadian Arctic islands and Hudson Bay who lived in small mobile bands, hunting seal, caribou and musk ox with bows and harpoons.

See Pre-Dorset on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 2500 to 500 BCE

Duration

2,000 years

Type

People or culture

Region

Arctic and Greenland, North America

Language family

Eskimo-Aleut

Came from

• Arctic Small Tool tradition c. 2500 to 800 BCE

Became

• Dorset culture c. 500 BCE to 1300 CE

Events in North America during its time

• 2500 BCE Paleo-Eskimos settle the eastern Arctic
• 2100 BCE Maize reaches the Southwest
• 1600 BCE Poverty Point earthworks built

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Minoan civilization c. 3100 to 1450 BCE, Europe
• Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
• Shang dynasty c. 1600 to 1046 BCE, East Asia
• Old Kingdom of Egypt c. 2686 to 2181 BCE, North and West Africa
• Roman Republic 509 to 27 BCE, Europe
• New Kingdom of Egypt c. 1550 to 1069 BCE, North and West Africa
• Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
• Neo-Assyrian Empire 911 to 609 BCE, Middle East
• Old Babylonian Empire 1894 to 1595 BCE, Middle East
• Hittite Empire (New Kingdom) c. 1400 to 1180 BCE, Middle East

Questions