Qaummaarviit Territorial Park
ᖃᐅᒪᕐᕕᐃᑦ
A Thule culture archaeological site on an island in the bay, where sod houses, stone graves, and meat caches dating back about 750 years survive. It can only be reached by boat or across sea ice.
Qaummaarviit, meaning 'place of glittering,' is an island about 12 km west of Iqaluit. The Thule people, ancestors of the Inuit, lived here seasonally for centuries. The island has more than a dozen partly sunken sod house ruins, graves, fox traps, and meat caches. Interpretive signs explain the site, and archaeological excavations have uncovered thousands of artifacts. In summer, you can travel by boat with a local guide. In spring, you can cross the sea ice by dog sled or snowmobile. There are no facilities, and you must book through a tour company.
Opening hours
Depends on tour schedule
Nearby sights
- Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park
- Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
- St. Jude's Cathedral
- Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum
- Frobisher Bay & Koojesse Inlet
- Road to Nowhere
- Apex
- Katannilik Territorial Park