At Sermermiut, several different types of dwellings have been found. One of the more special types is the communal house, that was in use in the period from 1600 to 1850. As the name suggests, this was a type of house where several families lived together. Each family in the house had their own apartment that included their own cooking area with lamp, urinal tub and a sleeping platform used by all the family members. These little “apartments” were often separated by large sealskin partitions hung from the ceiling.
There were several practical advantages for families to live together in this way. In times of poor hunting, it was easier to share food, whether it came from the day's catch or from the summer depots. Additionally, if one family ran out of blubber for their lamp, ambient heat from the other families lamps would still keep the temperature inside the house from falling to below freezing.
Similar to the smaller square house type, the communal house was also only a winter house. In the spring, the roof was removed allowing rain, sun and wind to clean the inside of the house. In the autumn, families would return and after putting a new roof on, the house was used again.
Let's continue down the boardwalk and get closer to the beach. At the next stop we will discuss the Stone Age cultures that first settled here in the valley 4,000 years ago.
Please stay on the boardwalk. The cultural heritage in the area is fragile and can be difficult to observe. Walking on the ruins can irreparably damage them.
© 2024 Avannaata Kommunia. All rights reserved.