UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
Canada

Qajartalik

Dorset petroglyph site in the Canadian Arctic

Location

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Historical Context

About

Qajartalik (Inuktitut for "where there is a kayak") is a petroglyph site located on the Qajartalik peninsula of Qikertaaluk Island, Nunavut, approximately 40 km southeast of Kangiqsujuaq, Quebec. The site consists of over 150 carvings of faces in soapstone. It was created by the Dorset people, the culture who inhabited the Canadian eastern Arctic and Greenland beginning approximately 2,200 years ago before disappearing approximately 1,000 years ago, and who inhabited the region prior to the Thule Inuit who arrived approximately 800 years ago. It is believed to be the northernmost rock art site in North America and is considered to be one of a kind. The site is currently on Canada's tentative list of sites proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Thule_arrival

c. 800 years ago

avataq_inventory

1996

vandalism_reported

2006

Dorset_disappearance

c. 1,000 years ago

Dorset_presence_begins

c. 2,200 years ago

first_documentation_by_researcher

1960s

unesco_tentative_list_announcement

2017-12-20

unesco_nomination_submitted

2018-04-13

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Industrial and Craft Structures

MinesWorkshopsToolmakers’ Areas
category

Artistic and Decorative Features

Petroglyphs
Knowledge Base

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Plan Your Visit

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Reference

Details

Country

Canada

Coordinates

61.33° N, -71.50° E