A slate hearth eroding from a beach in Uganik Bay.
Historic Preservation
CARING FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
The Kodiak Archipelago has one of the richest archaeological records in Alaska. The region holds over 2,500 sites. The majority reflect Alutiiq history. With support from land owners and community volunteers, the museum promotes the preservation of sites and the information they hold through documentation and public education.
Grass matting found at Nunallerpiaq, a 3,000-year-old site by Karluk Lake. Koniag Collection.
Recent Studies
LEARNING ABOUT THE PAST
Native people have lived in the Kodiak Archipelago for at least 7,500 years, yet the written record of their history extends back just 250 years. Archaeological sites offer the opportunity to study the remaining 7,250 years of Alutiiq history. They are an Alutiiq library. Archaeological surveys and excavations help to record Alutiiq history preserved in the ground. Collections offer research opportunities, and library materials preserve and share the results of past studies.
Molly Odell records the layers of an archaeological site studied before construction on the Chiniak Highway.
Cultural Resource Management
CONTRACTING
The Alutiiq Museum’s staff includes three professional archaeologists with a combined 97 years of experience leading Alaskan field research, analyzing collections, and reporting results. While we focus on the Kodiak region, our cultural resource professionals have worked throughout Alaska on projects in diverse of cultural and environmental settings and on a variety of cultural resource consulting projects.