Nadlok and the Origin of the Copper Inuit

Soapstone lamps

Soapstone lamps burning caribou fat or seal oil were placed below suspended soapstone pots to provide light and heat. A line of Arctic cotton from one end of the lamp to the other provided a wick lit with a burning punk or bark. If lamps or pots broke from heat or droppage, their sides were reconnected using copper staples.


Figure 1
A soapstone lamp.



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