ANCIENT ESKIMO DWELLING SITES AND HOLOCENE RELATIVE SEALEVEL CHANGES IN SOUTHERN DISKO-BUGT, CENTRAL WEST GREENLAND

A coordinated geological-archaeological investigation has been carried out in southern Disko Bugt with the primary purpose of elucidating Ho locene relative sea-level (RSL) changes. Two RSL curves representing t he Early-Middle Holocene emergence of respectively southeastern and so uthwestern Disko Bugt have been constructed Elevations of paleo-Eskimo sites of different ages have been surveyed and supplemented with simi lar elevations compiled from the literature. Detailed investigations h ave been carried out at two partly submerged Dorset I sites. At both s ites, the stratigraphy of the foreshore has been recorded in terrain p rofiles. It is concluded that the RSL history of southern Disko Bugt w as one of steady emergence during Early-Middle Holocene followed by su bmergence in Late Holocene. The stratigraphy of the foreshore at the t wo Dorset I sites indicates that RSL has been at least 2-2.5 m below s ea-level, and that the transgression to present sea-level started afte r ca 1 ka B.P.