Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-01
D. C. MEN TO DIG IN ALASKA
FOR STONE AGE EVIDENCE
National Museum to Search
Ruins for Early His
tory of Tribe.
deliberately Carved Bone and
Ivory Objects Indicate
Race of Culture.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The early stages of an advanced stone
age culture, the existence of which was
unknown until three years ago. is the
object of Smithsonian Institution ex-
petition to the Northwestern coast OF
Alaska this Summer.
Henry B. Collins, assistant curator OF
of the division of ethnology of the Ma
tional Museum, and Herman E. Brandt,
a Washington engineer, will leave to-
morrow for the scene of this mysterious
naturalization which fiourished in the
icy mists of the Boring Straits region
long before the discovery of America.
It's remains are found in the ruins of
houses buried from 10 to Is feet under
accumulated deposits and in some cases
several feet below the sea level due to
the sinking of the land.
Collins and Brandt will first search
the coastline for more sites of this ma
ture and may even explore parts Of
the Arctic coast. Then they will re-
turn to ST. Lawrence Island. where they
will make their headquarters for the
Summer, and conduct excavations on
smaller islands in the neighborhood.
This culture, says Collins, hardly dates
back more than 1000 years and was
produced by the ancestors OF the pres
ert Eskimo, who probably spread from
this center over Northern Canada and
Greenland.
Etched on Ivory.
With their crude implements these
ancient people produced etchings on
ivory which show artistic genius. They
lived in substantial houses of wood and
whalebone and made boats which are
marvels of mechanical ingenuity. Some
of their descendants are still found IN
the neighborhood, but the art has de-
generated and the customs are forgot
ten. Special efforts will be made to
find the earlier phases of this culture to
throw light on the origin of the Eskimo.
They are says Collins, race of Mon
golian origin, related to the American
indians, who crossed from Siberia. Some
believe that they are an offshoot of the
Indians, while others hold that they
represent considerably later migration
of Siberian aboriginals, who were pre-
vented from turning southwark by the
hostile Indians. AS their numbers grew
they we're forced to turn westward
along the desolate Arctic Circle. carry
ing their culture with them This de-
generated, due to the hardships of life.
Some Of the story can be traced in
the abundance of deliberately carved
bone harpoon heads, ceremonial objects
and trinkets, the purpose of which is
unknown, which can be recovered from
their buried houses. Thus far only the
high water mark of their artistic pc
Rod has been touched. For the most
part the etching is freehand, made with
stone implements by men of high artis-
tic talent. Later on, says Collins, there
Is evidence from the geometrical flg-
ures that such implements as conlpasses
were in use, and also that iron tools
were employed. How the natives OBJ
tanned iron is a mystery he will seek
to unrayel. 1t may have come from
Europe by way of Russia, through the
medium of Siberian tribes, long before
the discovery of America. A few wood
en- images are similar to those still In
use in some of the native religious
ceremonies, which are gradually disap-
pearing in the face of missionaries and
Government schools.
This culture of the Far North, says
Collins, was far simpler and cruder than
that found by the white men in Mexico
and Peru, due partly to the lack OF
leisure and partly TO the extremely