Arctic Small Tool tradition

The Arctic Small Tool tradition refers to a prehistoric culture that emerged around 3000 BCE in the Arctic regions of North America. These people were primarily terrestrial hunters, focusing on caribou and musk ox, and also fished in rivers and lakes. They also utilized coastal resources seasonally.1

This tradition is characterized by small, finely crafted stone tools, including blades and microblades, similar to those found in Neolithic northeast Asia. The people of the Arctic Small Tool tradition are believed to be new immigrants from Asia.1

Their descendants spread across the Arctic Archipelago of Canada and into Greenland, with some groups adapting to coastal resources. In Alaska, their material culture was later replaced by the Norton culture around 500 BCE. The Arctic Small Tool tradition is considered an important precursor to later Arctic cultures, such as the Dorset and Thule cultures.12