Saqqaq culture

Saqqaq culture appears on the timeline as a people or culture of Arctic and Greenland (North America) from c. 2500 to 800 BCE, a span of 1,700 years. Its people spoke Eskimo-Aleut languages (Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Thule, Dorset (Paleo-Eskimo)).

The first people of southern and western Greenland. A 4,000-year-old hair sample from Qeqertasussuk gave the first ancient human genome ever sequenced, in 2010.

See Saqqaq culture on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates: c. 2500 to 800 BCE
Duration: 1,700 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

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
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
Akkadian Empire c. 2334 to 2154 BCE, Middle East

Questions

When did Saqqaq culture exist?

c. 2500 to 800 BCE, about 1,700 years. These dates are approximate, because the evidence for its beginning or end is uncertain.

Where was Saqqaq culture?

Arctic and Greenland, in North America.

What language did Saqqaq culture speak?

Eskimo-Aleut. This family includes Inuit, Yupik, Aleut, Thule, Dorset (Paleo-Eskimo).

What came before Saqqaq culture?

Arctic Small Tool tradition.