An Anthropogeographical Study of the Origin of the Eskimo Culture. 215 
remains of the houses of the oldest immigrants were evidently so old 
and decayed that it does not seem as if it has been possible to make 
sure observations as to their manner and form of building. 
One sees that the observations fit in with my theory of a distinc- 
tion between Palæeskimo and Neoeskimo. I assume the first immi- 
gration to have consisted of Palæeskimo people with their Arctic 
economic culture still bearing a strong impress of the continent. The 
later immigration has consisted of Neoeskimo who have brought with 
them their whale hunting technique. The Palæeskimo have gone north 
of Greenland to the east coast. The Neoeskimo have probably gone 
both to the north and the south of the country. With their great mobility 
both at sea and on the ice they have not been so strongly tied to certain 
geographical localities as the Palæeskimo. Their wanderings have taken 
place more quickly, and they have resorted to places where there was 
good whale hunting. For this reason they have probably preferred the 
east coast to the west coast, and the northern part of the east coast to 
the southern part. 
As to the point of time when this or these Neoeskimo immigrations 
took place — the immigration may have happened in several divisions 
though within a definite period — Thostrup was evidently inclined to 
fix the date too near to the present day. I do not think that — either 
on account of the condition of the ruins, or by taking into regard the 
former occurrence of the whales so far north — anything can prevent 
our assuming that С. THostrup’s so called second immigration (i. e., 
the Neoeskimo) may date from the time before and during the 10th— 
13th centuries A. D., or from the middle ages, to which period О. Sor- 
BERG, for archeological reasons, dates the settlement on the north- 
east coast. 
In this way we can see a connection between this settlement on the 
north-east coast of Greenland and the final immigration of the Eskimo 
to South Greenland and the subsequent annihilation of the “Eyster- 
bygd.” It is an idea already expressed by SOLBERG in his foremen- 
tioned work". “In einer oder anderer Weise muss die Besiedelung der 
entlegenen und für die Eskimo nicht sehr produktiven nordöstlichen 
Küste in Verbindung stehen mit den Völkerverschiebungen, die den 
Untergang der isländischen Kolonien verursachten.” 
It is of interest that THALBITZER? is opposed to this assumption 
and says that he “does not understand why SOLBERG is of opinion that 
the Eskimo colonization on the north-eastern coast of Greenland must 
necessarily stand in indirect connection with the destruction of the 
Scandinavian colony on the west coast, ....” THALBITZER naturally 
thinks of the colonization on the north-east coast of Greenland in its 
1 SOLBERG, p. 56. 
2 M.0.G., Vol. 39, р. 698. Note 3. 
