If the iron was of pre-contact trade iron — iron that entered Indigenous networks before regular European ships arrived, through drift cargo from Asian vessels or through indirect trade connections — it would be consistent with the earlier end of the date range.

If the iron was of European manufacture, it would suggest a date during or after the earliest period of contact.

The analysis of the iron’s specific characteristics and composition has been part of the attempt to resolve this question, with results that have been interpreted in different ways by different researchers.

The uncertainty has not been fully resolved, and honest reporting of the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi case requires acknowledging this uncertainty rather than presenting a false precision about when he lived.

The Comparison With Other Glacier Finds