National archaeological discoveries is the theme of PostEurop’s popular EUROPA stamps series in 2025. Two of the archaeological discoveries made in Green- land over the past two centuries have reverberated far beyond the Arctic. The Qilakitsoq Mummies and the Kingittorsuaq Runestone. To illustrate both stamps, we have allied with an artist Maya Sialuk Jacobsen, who is well-versed in the archaeological world within Greenland.
Qilakitsoq
Qilakitsoq is an abandoned Inuit settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula on the West coast of Green- land, about 450 km north of the Arctic Circle. The settlement is renowned for the discovery of eight mummified bodies from the Thule culture in 1972. The discovery was made by two local reindeer hunters, Hans and Jokum Grønvold.
In two graves were the mummies of six women and two boys. They comprise three generations with close familial links across the graves. Although the causes of death are unknown, they probably died at the same time in the Autumn shortly after arriving at the Winter settlement. They were wrapped in animal skins and fully clothed. They were equipped for a long journey
to the underworld, carefully prepared according to ancient, traditional rites. They had extra skins and clothing to afford them a safe journey and a good life in the realm of the dead. The five oldest women have almost identical facial tattoos that can express both kinship and social status. The youngest woman of about 20 years is not tattooed. Perhaps she was either unmarried or childless. Tattoos have been in common use among Inuit women for thousands of years. There were amulets on and among their clothing. The Inuit probably employed these amulets to muster strength and protection from evil spirits. The mummies from Qilakitsoq have since afforded valuable insights into the life of the Inuit who lived in the area some 500 years ago. The stamp reproduces the most recog- nisable and most iconic of the eight mummies. It is presumed to be a small boy of about six months. While the gender is based on the clothing, the age has been ascertained from the development of teeth and bones through radiographic examination.
