Especial attention was given to the location of the numerous dead
villages and older sites along the Yukon. This task was found, in
most instances, fairly easy with villages that "died" since the
Russo-American occupation, for mostly they still show plain traces and
are generally remembered by the old Indians or even old white settlers.
Their precise allocation on a map, however, is not always easy or
certain. As to the prehistoric sites the search is much more difficult
and depends largely on chance discoveries.
The villages still existing give only a partial clue, in many cases,
to the old, even where these bore the same name, for on occasions a
village changed its location, though remaining in the same general
vicinity and retaining the same name. Thus there existed at different
times apparently, between the earliest contacts with whites and the
present, at least 2 Nuklukhayets, 2 Lowdens, 3 Nulatos, 3 Kaltags, 2
Anviks, etc.; besides which there were differences in recording the
names and changes due to efforts at translation of the native term, or
an application by the whites of a new name, often that of a trader or
settler, to an old site.
In places even late village sites, in others burials, were witnessed
being undermined by the river or the sea. Such sites with their
contents will probably sooner or later be completely lost from this
cause. Many doubtless have thus been lost previously.
The villages and sites located along the Yukon are here enumerated and
as far as possible charted. Information about them was obtained from
the older Indians or river Eskimo and from such whites as had direct
knowledge in that line. Most of these sites were examined personally,
but in some instances this was impossible. The details concerning those
seen will be found in the Narrative, but a few generalizations may here
be useful.
[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
PLATE 9
_a_, My "spoils," loaded on sled, Point Hope. (A. H., 1926)
_b_, The load is heavy and sledding over sand and gravel difficult. (A.
H., 1926)]
[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
PLATE 10