New People - the Thule Culture

To visit this unique ethnographic collection is to embark on a journey into Greenland’s past. The exhibition is rich in artefacts, all of which tell us about Thule Culture in Greenland, the culture were first discovered during archaeological excavations at Uummannaq in the Thule area.

The Thule people are the ancestors of present-day Greenlanders, and came to the country from Alaska around 1200. At the time there were two other cultures – the Late Dorset and the Norse – in the country. From the Thule area they continued their migration throughout Greenland. Their journey to the east was made possible by their efficient means of transport – the umiaq, dog sledge, and qajaq (kayak). 

Explore the vast ethnographic collection from north and east Greenland, and see how people lived their daily lives. The unique artefacts in the exhibition include men’s and women’s tools, children’s toys, everyday clothing and festive dress.

You can also see the eleven-metre umiaq from the 1470s, which was discovered in Pearyland, north Greenland in 1949. In this exhibition that you will also find a section dedicated to Qilakitsormiut – the Qilakitsoq mummies.