Our understanding of Dorset communal living is largely derived from the Late Dorset period when longhouses are prevalent throughout the Eastern Arctic. However, based on the recent identification of large multi-family dwellings that date to the Middle Dorset period communal living was seemingly a significant part of Dorset lifeways much earlier. To date, few such dwellings have been excavated, and none have been published in detail. In 2015 a large Middle Dorset multi-family dwelling, Feature 9, was excavated at Alarniq, northern Foxe Basin, Nunavut— one of the largest Dorset sites found across the Eastern Arctic. Feature 9 is the fourth large Middle Dorset multi-family dwelling recorded at Alarniq and radiocarbon dates indicate that these dwellings were not a short-term phenomenon, but instead were built (and rebuilt) at the site for several centuries. Unlike Late Dorset longhouses, which appear to be warm season occupations containing few artifacts and faunal material, Feature 9 was occupied during the cold season, perhaps even year-round, and contained abundant artifacts and faunal material. Undoubtedly, it is an enlarged version of the more typical winter dwelling used in the region. However, since all known large Middle Dorset multi-family dwellings are associated with dwellings of a more typical size they may have also served as gathering spaces, in some ways resembling qaqqiq used in traditional Inuit society.

我们对多塞特郡公共生活的理解很大程度上源于多塞特晚期（Dorset）后期，当时长棚屋遍布整个东部北极地区。但是，根据最近对大型多户住宅的了解（可追溯至多塞特郡中期），社区生活似乎在多塞特郡的生活中起着重要作用。迄今为止，很少有人挖掘这种住房，也没有详细发表过。2015年，在努纳武特福克斯盆地北部的阿拉尼克（Alarniq）挖掘了多塞特郡中部大型多户住宅，这是东北极地区最大的多塞特郡遗址之一。特征9是在阿拉尼克记录的第四座大型多塞特郡中型多户住宅，放射性碳数据表明这些住宅不是短期现象，但实际上是在现场建造（并重建）了几个世纪。与晚多塞特郡的长屋不同，后者似乎是温暖的季节，几乎没有人工制品和动植物材料，而功能9则在寒冷的季节（甚至全年）被占用，并且拥有丰富的人工制品和动植物材料。毫无疑问，它是该地区较典型的冬季住宅的放大版本。但是，由于所有已知的大型多塞特郡中型多户住宅都与一个更典型的大小的住宅相关联，因此它们在某些方面也可能充当了聚集空间 毫无疑问，它是该地区较典型的冬季住宅的放大版本。但是，由于所有已知的大型多塞特郡中型多户住宅都与一个更典型的大小的住宅相关联，因此它们在某些方面也可能用作聚集空间，类似于 毫无疑问，它是该地区较典型的冬季住宅的放大版本。但是，由于所有已知的大型多塞特郡中型多户住宅都与一个更典型的大小的住宅相关联，因此它们在某些方面也可能充当了聚集空间qaqqiq用于传统的因纽特人社会。