Skraeling Island

Skraeling Island is a Canadian island, located within the territory of Nunavut, which lies off the east coast of Ellesmere Island at the mouth of Alexandra Fiord. Buchanan Bay lies to its north-east.

History

The Norse referred to the Indigenous peoples they encountered in Greenland and the New World as skræling. According to the ancient sagas, the Norse considered the natives hostile because they were repeatedly attacked by them.

Archaeology

Skraeling Island is an extensive archeological site which has yielded a wealth of artifacts from Small-Tool cultures dating from 4500 BC. Norse items found at Inuit sites — some 80 objects from a single site including a small driftwood carving of a face with European features — suggests that there was a lively trade between the groups.