Definition: Thule tradition is the name given to late prehistoric whale hunters of the Chukchi Sea. The name comes, oddly enough, from Greek and Roman records of a group of people living in the most northerly parts of the planet, referred to as Ultima Thule. About AD 1100, Thule people expanded into what is now Alaska, northern Canada and into Greenland, superceding the Dorset culture. Sometime between AD 1200 and 1500, the Thule encountered Vikings in Greenland.
Sources
For more information, see Thule Tradition: Archaeology in the High Canadian Arctic, and the associated bibliography.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Examples: QkHn-12 (Canada), Naujan (Canada)
