Arctic and North Atlantic

610–c. 800

Greenland · Between archaeological phases

Sustained occupation in this interval is not established; Late Dorset appears around 800.

Sources: National Museum of Denmark. Prehistory of Greenland: Late Dorset.

c. 800–1300

Late Dorset · northern Greenland · Arctic maritime hunters

Late Dorset communities inhabit northern coasts and hunt marine animals.

Family groups form settlements; seasonal gatherings connect neighbouring communities.

Seal and walrus hunting accompanies exchange in stone, copper and meteoritic iron.

Winter semi-subterranean houses, hearth rows and carvings reveal domestic and ceremonial life.

Sources: National Museum of Denmark. Prehistory of Greenland: Late Dorset.

c. 870–930

Iceland · Settlement of Iceland

Settlers from Scandinavia and the British Isles establish households in Iceland. Growing settlements develop local assemblies to resolve disputes.

Local chieftains and district assemblies organise public affairs.

Settlers take up land and establish farms.

Seaborne migration connects the island with the North Atlantic.

Sources: Þingvellir National Park. Settlement of Iceland.

c. 1000–1199

Thule · Inuit ancestors · Alaskan maritime hunters

Thule culture develops in northern Alaska. Marine hunting, boats and dog sledges support coastal settlements; later eastward migration unfolds over several generations.

Local communities and regional networks; state jurisdiction is shown in a separate layer.

Marine and land hunting, fishing and exchange; trade and paid employment gain importance over time.

Thule culture develops in northern Alaska. Marine hunting, boats and dog sledges support coastal settlements; later eastward migration unfolds over several generations.

Sources: Greenland National Museum and Archives. New people — the Thule Culture.; Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Inuit History and Heritage; Inuvialuit Living History. Our Timeline.

c. 1200–1299

Thule · Inuit ancestors · Arctic Canada and northwestern Greenland

Around 1200 migrants from the west reach Greenland through Arctic Canada. Settlements occupy coastal areas; the inland ice sheet is not a settlement region.

Local communities and regional networks; state jurisdiction is shown in a separate layer.

Marine and land hunting, fishing and exchange; trade and paid employment gain importance over time.

Around 1200 migrants from the west reach Greenland through Arctic Canada. Settlements occupy coastal areas; the inland ice sheet is not a settlement region.

Sources: Greenland National Museum and Archives. New people — the Thule Culture.

c. 1261–1300

Norse Greenland settlements · Under the Norwegian crown

The Norse settlements accept Norwegian royal authority; this does not cover the whole island.

Settlements recognise Norway’s king; farms and parishes retain local roles.

Livestock and wool production accompany marine hunting; hunting products reach Scandinavia.

Farms occupy fjords. From the eleventh century, churches complement seaborne ties with Christian northern Europe.

Sources: National Museum of Denmark. Prehistory of Greenland: Norse.; Greenland National Museum & Archives. Arctic Peasants — Norse Greenlanders.

1721–1727

Greenland · mission and trade · Settlement on Håbets Ø

Hans Egede’s expedition establishes a mission and trading settlement near the entrance to Nuuk fjord. It is founded among Inuit communities, not as the continuation of an existing Norse colony.

Sources: Thomas N. Krabbe. Grønland — dets natur, beboere og historie (1929), plate 113; National Museum of Denmark. Frederik 4.; Greenland National Museum, Sisimiut World Heritage proposal.

1728–1789

Greenland · mission and trade · Godthåb · Nuuk

The settlement moves to Godthåb, present-day Nuuk. Mission and trade anchor the Danish-Norwegian presence on the west coast; the outline represents a local settlement district.

Sources: Thomas N. Krabbe. Grønland — dets natur, beboere og historie (1929), plate 113; National Museum of Denmark. Frederik 4.; Greenland National Museum, Sisimiut World Heritage proposal.

1784–1789

Kodiak · Three Saints Bay · Russian settlement on Kodiak

Shelikhov establishes the settlement in 1784. It supports marine fur exploitation and further expansion. The map marks the settlement district, not all Alaska; the island’s Indigenous people remain present.

Sources: U.S. National Park Service. Three Saints Bay Site National Historic Landmark.

1802–1803

Sitka · Russian trading post · Sitka · Tlingit

The Tlingit destroy the Russian post and recover control. A fort is built at the mouth of the Indian River.

Sources: National Park Service. Old Sitka; The Battle of 1804.

1804–1815

Sitka · Russian trading post · Novo-Arkhangelsk · Russian America

After the battle of 1804 Russians establish Novo-Arkhangelsk. Tlingit communities remain in the region and resist colonial expansion.

Sources: National Park Service. Old Sitka; The Battle of 1804.

1816–1848

Sitka · Russian trading post · Novo-Arkhangelsk · Russian America

After the battle of 1804 Russians establish Novo-Arkhangelsk. Tlingit communities remain in the region and resist colonial expansion.

Sources: National Park Service. Old Sitka; The Battle of 1804.

1915–1918

Alaska · USA · Alaska · USA

Russia cedes Alaska to the USA. Indigenous peoples maintain communities and homelands under changing colonial administration.

Sources: Office of the Historian. Purchase of Alaska, 1867.

1919–1939

Alaska · USA · Alaska · USA

Russia cedes Alaska to the USA. Indigenous peoples maintain communities and homelands under changing colonial administration.

Sources: Office of the Historian. Purchase of Alaska, 1867.

1940–1945

Alaska · USA · Alaska · USA

Russia cedes Alaska to the USA. Indigenous peoples maintain communities and homelands under changing colonial administration.

Sources: Office of the Historian. Purchase of Alaska, 1867.