Archaeological Collections

The Alutiiq Museum cares for over 100,000 historic and prehistoric artifacts from archaeological surveys and excavations, and their accompanying assemblages of animal remains, plant remains, and sediments samples.

The great majority of our archaeological collections come from the Kodiak archipelago.  These assemblages reflect all eras of archaeological research in the region, as well as the complete span of Alutiiq history - from Kodiak's colonization 7,500 years ago to the American era.  Most are from scientifically conducted studies, including many led by the Alutiiq Museum.

Archaeological excavations at Bruhn Point

Major Site Collections

Afognak Artel
Aleut Town
Amak
Array
Blisky
Brunh Point
Cape Alitak Petroglyps
Horseshoe Cove
Karluk One
KAR-029
Mikt'sqaq Angayuk
Malina Creek
Monashka Bay
Nunakakhnak
Old Karluk
Outlet
Penuq
Refuge Rock
Rice Ridge
Salmon Bend
Salonie Mound
Settlement Point
Tsunami
Uyak
Zaimka Mound

Shaman's dolls from Karluk One

Karluk One

Six hundred years ago, Alutiiq people built a village at the mouth of Kodiak Island’s salmon-rich Karluk River.  Digging into the pebbled beach, they constructed houses from wood and sod.  For centuries their descendants lived in the same place.  As houses aged, residents built new structures over the old, creating a massive village.  Over the years, freshwater pooled behind the settlement.  House remains acted like a sponge, absorbing the water and preserving many of the things people left behind.

In 1983, the Alutiiq community joined archaeologists to study the village and found a breathtaking array of wood, bone, ivory, and fiber objects, uniquely preserved because of their fresh water environment.  Over six years of study, the Karluk One site produced roughly 20,000 objects, providing a rare view of prehistoric Alutiiq life and fueling the heritage movement.  In 1995, the collection became a cornerstone of the newly founded Alutiiq Museum.

Petroglyph Face from Cape Alitak

Cape Alitak

At the southern tip of Kodiak Island, where the where the land stretches far into the rough waters of the North Pacific, Alutiiq ancestors recorded their stories.  Pecked into the boulders of Cape Alitak are images of birds, sea mammals, and people – characters from Alutiiq legends.

In 2010, museum archaeologists completed the first systematic comprehensive survey of Cape Alitak, documenting its Alutiiq settlements and rock art with support from the National Park Service.  They located more than 1100 petroglyphs in 13 clusters, documenting their finds with photographs, drawings, and maps.  This archive of Alutiiq artwork is available at the Alutiiq Museum for investigation.

The glyphs occur in groups, often near sod houses villages carbon dated to about 900 years old.  Although we cannot date the glyphs directly, this suggests that they are many hundreds of years old and may be associated with whale hunting. Many of the glyphs show whales.

Learn more about the Cape Alitak Petroglyphs from our series of short films on the project.