During the Little Ice Age, a period marked by freezing temperatures and extreme climatic conditions, two cultures coexisted in Greenland: the Inuit and the Norse. Although both groups faced the same environmental challenges, their fates could not have been more different. The Inuit thrived and adapted, while the Norse disappeared from the island.

A recent archaeological study points to a previously overlooked factor in this phenomenon: the role of children and their learning through play as a driver of cultural innovation and adaptation.

The study analyzes how play and the toys used by children influenced each society’s ability to adapt to their environment. Among the Inuit, children were surrounded by a rich variety of toys that simulated tools, weapons, and other functional objects.

nordic toys
Nordic toys. a: bird figure (wood); b: toy sword (wood); c: doll ( steatite); d: pot (steatite); e: knife (wood); f: spinning top disk (whalebone); g: ship’s bow pole (wood); h: fish figure (wood); i: bowl (steatite). Not to scale. Credit: M.V. Meyer et al.

These miniatures were not just toys but also learning tools that prepared children for the demands of adult life in an extremely hostile environment. In contrast, the Norse had a more limited and normative play culture, with toys that exclusively reflected agricultural roles and activities.

The contrast between the two cultures is evident not only in the number of toys found but also in their diversity and purpose. Inuit toys encouraged experimentation, independence, and innovation. Meanwhile, Norse toys appeared to reinforce strict social norms, leaving little room for creativity or adaptation to unforeseen environmental changes.

Through the analysis of more than 3,000 objects related to the Inuit and only 72 from the Norse, the study reveals that the Inuit created a much broader and more varied range of toys. These included miniatures of kayaks, harpoons, knives, and lamps, each designed to teach specific practical skills. In contrast, Norse toys were limited to objects related to agricultural activities, such as bird figurines and domestic tools.

inuit toys
Inuit toys from the collection of the National Museum of Greenland in Nuuk. a: sledge runner and upstander (wood), b: disc for spinning top (wood), c: doll (wood), d: sealing stool (for sitting on when hunting seals on the ice (bone), e: harpoon (baleen), f: cooking pot (soapstone), g: lamp with ledge (soapstone), h: ajagaq (bone), i: snow knife (wood), j: ulo blade (women’s knife; slate), k: harpoon head (bone). Not to scale. Credit: M.V. Meyer et al.

The article highlights how this difference in the approach to children’s play may have influenced each culture’s ability to adapt to the changing conditions of the Little Ice Age. The Inuit developed advanced technologies such as dog sleds and the umiaq (a type of boat), while the Norse remained reliant on unsustainable agricultural practices in an increasingly inhospitable environment.

The research emphasizes the importance of the “ontogenetic niche,” the environment in which children learn and develop essential skills for their future.

For the Inuit, this niche was designed to foster innovation from an early age, enabling younger generations to experiment with technologies and strategies before facing real-world challenges. In contrast, the normative environment of the Norse limited their children’s ability to develop new solutions to climatic adversities.

inuit toys
Inuit play objects. Left: a collection of ajagaqs made from the bones of different animals. Right: spinning top discs made of wood and bone. Credit: M.V. Meyer et al.

Our data support the idea that the objects filling the cultural niches of these societies had a vital effect on their ability to adapt and survive adverse environmental conditions over multiple generations and centennial timescales, the researchers conclude. They add that future analyses should address the relationship between the diversity of play objects and adult objects in each society.

The study also invites reflection on how modern societies educate their youth. In a world facing climatic and social crises, fostering creativity, autonomy, and adaptability from childhood could be key to survival and progress.

As the Inuit experience demonstrates, focusing on diversity and experimentation from an early age can make the difference between success and failure in the face of future challenges.

SOURCES

Meyer MV, Riede F. Playing to Survive: Children and Innovation During the Little Ice Age in Greenland. European Journal of Archaeology. Published online 2024:1-20. doi:10.1017/eaa.2024.36

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