Archeological work in the vast area of the western Eskimo is still in
its infancy. Until the 1926 Smithsonian expedition nothing whatever had
been done in this line in the Eskimo parts of the southwestern coasts
of Alaska[46] or on the Kuskokwim or Yukon Rivers.
Some time between 1877 and 1881 E. W. Nelson made limited excavations
on St. Michael Island[47] (see p. 170) and also dug on Whale Island.
In 1912 V. Stefánsson excavated at Barrow.[48] Having two months to
spend at this place he engaged numerous Eskimo of the village and
had them excavate the native village sites in the neighborhood. He
says (p. 388): "It was a small army that turned out to dig wherever
there was a ruin or a kitchen midden, and they worked energetically
and well. While the excavations were not done as methodically and
scientifically as could have been wished, still we were able to get
from them a collection of over 20,000 archaeological specimens within
the space of six weeks. This collection (which is now safely stored in
the American Museum of Natural History) brings out many significant
and some revolutionary ideas with regard to the prehistoric history of
the Eskimo. My method was to dig as much as possible myself, and to
go around as best I could to see the others at work. In many cases I
was able to see the exact position from which the important finds were
taken." The specimens have since in part been described by Wissler.[49]
Stefánsson brought also some archeological specimens from Point Hope,
where, however, no excavations were made; and collected a valuable
series of crania from Point Barrow.
In 1917-19 excavations near Barrow were conducted by W. B. Van Valin,
leader of the John Wanamaker expedition to northwestern Alaska, for
the University Museum at Philadelphia. The excavations were made in
some mounds located about 8 miles southwest of Barrow and about 1,000
yards back from the beach on the tundra, and uncovered six old igloos
containing, aside from many cultural objects, the skeletal remains of
83 individuals. These remains have since been found to be those of an
intrusive group of people and to be of special interest.[50]
In 1924 Rasmussen during the last parts of his great journey gathered
numerous archeological specimens at Point Hope and from other
localities along the west coasts of Alaska.
In 1926, finally, the year of my survey, some careful initial
excavations, with very interesting results, were carried on at Wales
and on the Little Diomede Island by Dr. D. Jenness, of the National
Museum of Canada, Ottawa. A preliminary report on the results of this
work has been published in the annual report of the National Museum of
Canada for 1926.
Besides such more professional work a good deal of archeological
collection has been done in the regions under consideration by local
people, particularly traders and teachers; and the demand for specimens
has made assiduous excavators of some of the Eskimo themselves,
particularly at Point Hope and at St. Lawrence Island.
Beginning with the north, the first white man to be mentioned in
this connection is Charles Brower, the well-known trader at Barrow.
Mr. Brower has not only aided all the explorers who have reached
this northernmost point, but he has also been directly instrumental
in excavating and the making of archeological collections, though,
regrettably, some of these have been scattered.
During 1925-26 there lived at Point Hope a very active and interesting
man, sent there by the Fox Film Co. to photograph the Eskimo--Mr.
Merle La Voy. La Voy, whom I met at Point Hope and who for a time
became our fellow-passenger on the _Bear_, had not only succeeded
remarkably in his own line, but had also amassed during his stay a
large archeological collection. He did not excavate himself, and
unfortunately paid no attention to the scientific side of the case; but
by offering the natives sugar, tea, chocolate, chewing gum, tobacco,
etc. in exchange for specimens, he so stimulated them that they engaged
most assiduously in the excavation, or rather picking over as they
thawed, of their old ruins, and brought him thousands of objects, some
of which are of considerable interest. At the time of my visit there
were several barrels full of specimens, largely of stone and ivory.
Skulls and bones, regrettably, were neglected and reburied in the
débris. Later this collection was transported to San Francisco, where
it remains at the date of this writing, in Mr. La Voy's possession.
At Kotzebue Mr. Tom Berryman, the trader, has made some collections of
Eskimo archeological material, from which I benefited for the National
Museum; and the local teacher, Mr. C. S. Replogle, informed me that he
had a large collection at his home in the States.
At Nome I found a valuable lot of specimens in fossil ivory, pottery,
and stone, in the possession of the well-known Lomen brothers, members
of one of the foremost families in Alaska. The best parts of this
collection I was fortunate to secure for exhibit in the United States
National Museum.
A large and valuable collection of western Eskimo archeological
material was made some years ago by Dr. Daniel Neuman. A part of this
collection is in the museum at Juneau; the whereabouts of the rest and
of Doctor Neuman himself I was unable to discover. There are several
collections of archeological material from the western Eskimo region at
Seattle and San Francisco, but none represents scientific excavation.
The names of Joe Bernard, Prof. H. N. Sverdrup, and O. W. Geist should
be mentioned in this connection, all having collected archeological
objects in the western Eskimo region. Many specimens of value
collected by these men and others are in various museums or in private
hands in Fairbanks, along the west coast or in Europe.
My own small part in the archeology of Bering Sea and the northwestern
coast of Alaska was, as already stated, mainly that of making a survey
of conditions. The object was to obtain a good general view of what
there was in the line of archeological sites and remains, and thus
help to lay a foundation for more organized research in the future. In
addition all possible effort was made to collect and obtain specimens
of distinct archeological value. Both of these endeavors met with
results of some importance.