An Analysis of 600‐Year‐Old Gut‐Skin Parkas of the Early Thule Period from the Nuulliit Site, Avanersuaq, Greenland

Parka, L3.12893. 1:1 drawing of the front (A), hood (B), sleeve (C), and back. At the front and back, on both sides of the hood, is a pointed gusset. A triangular piece is under the chin. A gut‐skin panel acts as a hood‐and‐shoulder yoke. Two long strips run from the back to the front. Rounded flaps at the lower front and back. Pointed gussets are on the inside of the sleeve and the side seam. Straps of dehaired skin with epidermis border the hood opening and lower bottoms. At the sleeves, cuffs of gut skin. The illustration is based on Holtved’s (1954:82–83) drawings. Above is the front side of the garment after conservation in 2020. When found in 1947, the inside of the parka faced outwards. It was turned inwards during conservation. Photo from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Parka, L3.12894. Left, 1:1 drawing of the front side (top), back (A), and hood (B) after Holtved (1954). At the front and back, on both sides of the hood, is a pointed gusset. A gut‐skin panel acts as a hood‐and‐shoulder yoke. The lower front flap is rounded. The back flap and the borders at the hood opening, lower bottom, and sleeves are not preserved. The illustration is based on Holtved’s (1954:84) drawings. Right, front side after the conservation treatment in 2020 (top). Backside before treatment (bottom). Photos from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Parka, L3.12895. Left, 1:1 drawing of the front, the back (A), and the hood (B). At the front and back, on both sides of the hood, is a pointed gusset. A small triangular piece is under the chin. A gut‐skin panel acts as a hood‐and‐shoulder yoke. Two long strips run from the back to the front. The lower front appears slightly curved, while the lower back flap is rounded. No borders are preserved at the hood opening or lower bottom. The illustration is based on Holtved’s (1954:85) drawing of the garment. Above, on the front side, is the parka after conservation in 2020. Photo from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Common traits of the three Nuulliit parkas: a) The front with vertical strips containing 1) double pointed hood roots inserted in the mid shoulders, 2) gussets under the sleeves and side seams, 3) hood‐and‐shoulder yoke, and 4) a triangular gusset under the chin. Shoulder strip from front to back—a rounded flap at the lower bottom. b) and c) Two versions of the Nuulliit parkas’ backs, with a horizontal and a vertical hood back. A hood‐and‐shoulder yoke, pointed, double hood roots, and gussets were inserted in the sleeves and side seams. Shoulder strip from front to back—an extended, rounded flap at the lower bottom.

Four Iñupiat male gut‐skin parkas from Alaska, front and back:

a) Acquired in Alaska in connection with the Fifth Thule Expedition, 1921–1924, by Knud Rasmussen in 1926. NMD: P32.274.

b) Acquired, northern Alaska, Tikiġaq (Point Hope), in connection with the Fifth Thule Expedition, 1921–1924, by Knud Rasmussen in 1926. NMD: P32.6.

c) Acquired in northern Alaska in connection with the Danish‐American Alaska Expeditions, 1949–1950, by Helge Larsen in 1945. NMD: P.6503.

d) Acquired in northern Alaska, Tikiġaq, in connection with the Fifth Thule Expedition, 1921–1924, by Knud Rasmussen in 1926. NMD: P32.5.

Photos from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Four Iivit male gut‐skin parkas from eastern Greenland, front and back:

a) Acquired in eastern Greenland by Carl Holbøll in 1846. NMD: Lc.220.

b) Acquired in eastern Greenland, Tasiilaq (Angmagssalik), by Carl. J. Ryberg in 1884. NMD: Ld.35.1.

c) Acquired in eastern Greenland, Tasiilaq, by Carl. J. Ryberg in 1884. NMD: Ld.34.

d) Acquired in eastern Greenland, Tasiilaq, by Gustav Holm in 1888. NKA: 1418XLd.68.2.

Photos from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Three fur‐skin parkas, front:

a) A Yupiget man’s caribou parka from Cape Dezhnev, Siberia. Acquired by Olrik in 1860. NMD: Kc.99.

b) An Inupiat women’s caribou parka, collected in Koyukuk, Yukon River, Alaska. Acquired by Frederica de Laguna’s expedition in 1935. NMD: P.1334.

c) An Inuvialuit men’s marmot parka from Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Acquired by R. W. Hobson, McClintock‐expedition in search of the Franklin Expedition in 1860. NMD: Hc.414. Photos from the National Museum of Denmark, Roberto Fortuna.

Common traits of ten male parkas and one female parka, dating from 1846–1945. Drawn from the front:

a) Iñupiat (Alaska) male gut‐skin parkas. Vertical strips containing 1) double hood roots inserted in the mid‐shoulders, 2) gussets under the sleeves, and 3) a hood‐and‐shoulder yoke running over the hood crown from one shoulder to the other. The lower bottom is cut straight.

b) Iivit (eastern Greenland) male gut‐skin parkas.

c) Yupiget (Bering Strait region) and Inuvialuit (Canadian Northwest Territories) male fur‐skin parkas with straight or slightly curved lower bottoms.

d) Inupiat (Alaska) female fur‐skin parka. The lower bottom has rounded flaps.

Above, the area of L3.12893, gut‐skin parka from Nuulliit, is documented in Holtved’s drawing with the scale bar. By means of a CAD‐CAM program, the outlines of the clothing elements at the parka’s front and back are 2D recorded at numerous points. The calculated areas of the elements, except the hood opening, are multiplied by the factor 1.174, providing the expected real value for material consumption. Drawing after Holtved (1954:82–83). CAD‐CAM recording by Karsten Jensen.

Survey of material consumption and back length in female and male Inuit parkas. Of 42 parkas (one undefined gender, 17 female and 24 male), two female and 22 male parkas are found below the median line due to their shorter back lengths. Above the median line, 15 female and two male parkas with longer back lengths are found. The female Greenlandic parkas show minor material consumption compared to female parkas from Alaska and Arctic Canada. In this study, four male gut‐skin parkas from eastern Greenland (Lc.220, Ld.34, Ld.35.1., 1418XLd.68.2) and one male Alaskan parka (P32.6) show 1.0–1.3 square meters of material consumption. Three male Alaskan parkas (P32.271, P32.5, P.6503) have a material consumption of 1.4–1.8 square meters. The Nuulliit gut‐skin parka (L3.12893) shows 1.4 square meters, like two female fur‐skin parkas of 1.2–1.3 square meters. Illustration merged with Schmidt et al. in prep. Figure by Karsten Jensen.