Environmentalists have complained in recent years about the preservative qualities of the climate in the north. The waste materials of civilization do not disintegrate and create long-term problems as the north becomes more and more populated by southerners and as native peoples import more and more goods which are alien to the ecological balance. For the historian and archaeologist these disadvantages are a great boon. These artifacts were discovered by various scientific expeditions from the National Museum of Man and bear silent testimony to expeditions many years before. They were photographed at the museum's photo unit.
Field Expedition Stove: A "Florence" stove with a wide wick was recovered from the site of the 1909 Peary expedition.
Knife: This long-bladed pocket knife was found on Melville Island where Robert Peary wintered in 1909.
Ox Cheek Soup: The U.S. Coast Guard Ship Northwind which was operating in northern waters in 1954 recovered this can of soup from the cache of H.M.S. Investigator captained by Robert McClure. The label, which is only partially legible, explains that the soup will render a thick and delicious gravy which can be reheated on another day.
Paddle and Boot: The paddle was found in Stefansson's cache (ca. 1910) at Knight Harbour, Banks Island by H.M.C.S. Labrador in 1954, as was the leather boot.
Canister: The canister contained a document signed by Captain J.E. Bernier at Winter Harbour, July 14, 1909 and was found at Cape Bounty on Melville Island.
Courtesy: National Museum of Man, National Museums of Canada
