South Shore of Seward Peninsula West of Bluff

A number of dead villages are found along this coast. The first and largest is located a few miles west of Port Safety, 18 miles east of Nome. This was a large village extending for a considerable distance along the elevated beach separating an inland lagoon from the sea. The depressions of the dwellings, of the usual dipper-with-handle type, are very plain. Old settlers at Nome remember when the village was still occupied. Nearer the sea the beach is said to have been lined with burials, but the storm of 1913 took or covered everything. (See Narrative, p. [90].)

A small Eskimo settlement existed on a rocky elevation east of Cape Nome. There are some house sites, but the place gives little promise of archeological importance. We found evidence that the site must have been occupied until fairly recently. Among the bowlders were found two skeletons.

A larger dead village is located near the mouth of a little stream west of Cape Nome. It is doubtless the Azachagiag of the Zagoskin general map. It gives no great promise archeologically.

From Nome to Point Spencer there are several old sites, all "dead"; and there are one or two recently "dead" villages on Sledge (the old Aiak or Aziak) Island. Of the coast sites, the most important is reported to be that at Cape Woolley. It is said to have been the stopping point of the King Islanders and may have been their old mainland village.

A number of old sites and burial grounds have been seen or learned of in Port Clarence and Salt Lake. They are marked on the map, and those of the lake have been discussed in the Narrative (p. [117]). Those on Salt Lake (Imuruk Basin) deserve attention.

Between Port Clarence and Cape Prince of Wales only one, and that evidently not a very large site, was learned of at Cape York.

The most important site of the peninsula region is doubtless that at the cape. Thanks to the able local teacher of that time, Mr. Clark M. Garber, I am able to present a detailed map of this locality. It is here that Doctor Jenness in 1926 conducted some excavations with interesting results. But the site has barely been touched. It is the nearest point to Asia. There are ample indications that it has been occupied for a long period and by relatively large numbers of people. Besides the ruined parts and old heaps there are still the skulls and bones of many burials among the rocks about the village, and there is evidence that more are in the ground. It is one of the chief sites of the far northwest for systematic thorough exploration, and such exploration is a growing necessity for all branches of anthropology interested in the problems of the Bering Sea and Asiatic-American connections.

Scammon Bay, Norton Sound, South Coast of Seward Peninsula, to Cape Rodney
[Fig. 22]

91. Melatolik.—A small coast village.

92. Bimiut.—A small coast village.

93. Kwikak.—Eskimo village on the outer coast in the Yukon Delta, a little south of the mouth of Black River. Native name, from the Coast Survey, 1898, which gives it as Kwikagamiut. (G. D. A.)

Figure 22.—Eskimo Villages and sites, Scammon Bay to Norton Sound and Bay to Cape Rodney

94. Kipniak.—Eskimo village and Coast Survey tidal station at mouth of Black River in the Yukon Delta. Nelson, 1879, reports its name to be Kipniaguk and Dall writes it phonetically Kip-nai-ak. (G. D. A.)

95. Kogomiut.—A small village.

96. Waklarok.—A small village.

97. Nunamekrok.—A small village.

97a. Eleutak.—A small settlement.

98. Nilak.—A small village.

99. Kwikluak.—A small village near the mouth of the Kwikluak Pass of the Yukon, south bank.

100. Alakanuk.—A small settlement.

101. Kwiguk.—A village on Kwikluak Pass of the Yukon, north bank.

102. Kwikpak.—Village near mouth north bank of pass of same name, Yukon River.

103. Nakhliwak.—A small village, occupied part of time, about 2 miles from mouth of Apoon Pass, Yukon; visited by the writer; small skeletal collection.

104. Kotlik Point.—A store and Eskimo camp (summer) at mouth of Apoon Pass, north bank. (A. H.)

105. Pastolik.—Four Eskimo houses, occupied winter. Extensive burial ground near. Collections, A. Hrdlička. Good prospects for excavation in burial places.

106. Pikmiktalik.—Eskimo village, near the mouth of Pikmiktalik River, about 30 miles to the south of St. Michael, western Alaska. (G. D. A.)

106a. Pastoliak.—A site near mouth of next small stream to the north. A few houses. Some burials.

107. St. Michael and Whale Island.—Old sites, northeast end of St. Michael and on Whale Island, opposite. A small living village near the point of the main island, mostly mix bloods. (A. H.)

107a. Dead village. Nelson reports it had been peopled by the Pastolik Eskimo ("Eskimo about Bering Strait," p. 263).

108. Stebbins.—A living Eskimo village at Cape Stephens.

110. Golsova.—A small camp at mouth of river of same name.

111. Unalakleet (or Unalaklik).—Important old Eskimo village, Norton Sound; western end of portage to Yukon. Population in 1880, 100; in 1890, 175.

112. Shaktolik.—Eskimo village, at mouth of Shaktolik River, Norton Sound. Population in 1880, 60; in 1890, 38. (G. D. A.) Old settlement; several old sites in this region.

113. Nuklit.—Eskimo village, on the eastern shore of Norton Sound, immediately behind Cape Denbigh. (G. D. A.) Originally given on Zagoskin's general map. (A. H.)

113a. Tapkhalik.—Old village on east shore of Norton Bay.

114. Unakhtuglig or Unagtulig.—Originally given on Zagoskin's general map. (A. H.)

115. Kviguk.—Eskimo village, on north shore of Norton Bay, at mouth of the Kviguk River. Eskimo name, from the Russians. Tikhmenief, 1861, has Kviegmiut and Kvieguk-miut; i. e., Kviguk people. (G. D. A.) Originally on Zagoskin's general map.

116. Kvig-miut.—Old village, above the preceding; originally on Zagoskin's general map.

117. Kvinkhak (now Inglestat).—Old village at head of Norton Bay. Originally on Zagoskin's general map.

118. Tulukhtulig (at or near Elim).—Old village on west coast of Norton Bay.

119. Atnik.—Old village below the preceding.

120. Camp (Reindeer).

121. Chinig.—Old village at or near the site of present mission; name now erroneously applied to village at Point Golovnin.

122. Ikalikhvig.—Present Cheenik, at Point Golovnin.

123. Old site; located 1926 (A. H.); a moderate-sized village; not promising for excavation.

124. Knikhtak.—Originally on Zagoskin's general map; now a camp, no old remains in evidence; a house and four burials on same shore, 2 miles farther south; collection (A. H.).

125. Chiukak.—Dead village; on Zagoskin's general map; some skeletal material remaining; name now applied to a village farther up the coast.

126. Chaimiut.—Dead village; originally on Zagoskin's general map; name belonged to village nearer the point.

127. Ukvikhtulig.—Dead village at Topkok Head; originally on Zagoskin's general map.

128. Dead village, 18 miles east of Nome, near Port Safety. (A. H.)

129. Azachagiag.—Dead village, west of Cape Nome; originally on Zagoskin's general map.

130. Nome.—Probably small native village at this site in the past. Now principal white settlement in western Alaska. King Island, Diomede, and some Wales natives reside on the outskirts during summer.

131. Aziak Island (Sledge Island).—Two dead villages; the principal one at the northern point of the island. Visited by Collins, 1928. Collections.

132. Sinuk.—Small old site.

133. King Island (Ukiook).—Old village, still occupied in winter; in summer inhabitants live at Nome.

133a. A village site at Cape Woolley; said to be the stopping place of the King Islanders.

134. Dead sites.

135. Burials.

136. Siniak.—Now a Lutheran Mission for the Eskimo.

Figure 23.—Eskimo villages and sites, Wales. (By Clark M. Garber, 1927)

137. Teller.—Old Eskimo site; some still live here with, a few whites. A few Eskimo camps along Tuksuk Channel.

138. Salt Lake (Imuruk Basin).—Ruins seen on north shore. (A. H.)

139. Old sites near eastern end of lake; a Chukchee-Eskimo battlefield in vicinity. (A. H.)

140. Old village site on the St. Marys River.

141. Burials reported.

142. Wales.—Old Nykhta, Zagoskin's maps; see special description; collections.