Birnirk Site facts for kids
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Birnirk Site
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Mounds at the site
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| Location | Address restricted |
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| Nearest city | Utqiagvik, Alaska |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000953 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
The Birnirk Site is a really important archaeological site (a place where people in the past lived) located near Utqiagvik, Alaska. It has sixteen old mounds, which are like small hills. These mounds hold clues about two ancient groups of people: the Birnirk and the Thule. The Birnirk Site is especially important because it's the main place where we learned about the Birnirk culture. Because of its amazing history, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962. This helps us understand how people lived in the Arctic a very long time ago.
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Exploring the Birnirk Site
The Birnirk Site is found on the Alaska North Slope. This is a northern part of Alaska, close to the town of Utqiagvik. Since 1988, the land where the site is located has been owned by the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation.
The site has sixteen mounds. Each mound is like a small hill that covers an old dwelling or home. These homes were used by people over a long period of time.
What Did Scientists Find?
Scientists have done a lot of digging at the Birnirk Site. Major studies happened in 1936, and again from 1951 to 1953. During these times, they carefully dug into three of the mounds. In 1959, they explored parts of seven more mounds.
The main time people lived at this site was during the Birnirk culture. This was between the years 500 and 900 CE. Scientists also found signs that people from the later Thule culture lived there too. The Thule culture was generally active from 1100 to 1400 CE.
Tools and Daily Life
Many interesting objects were found at the Birnirk Site. These include harpoon heads made from antler (deer horns) and stone. Harpoons were important tools for hunting large sea animals. Some harpoon heads were even from an older group called the Punuk culture.
Scientists also uncovered pieces of wood. These wooden parts were from traditional seal-hunting umiaks. An umiak is a type of open boat used by Arctic people for hunting and travel. Finding these pieces helps us understand how these ancient people built their boats and hunted for food.
Protecting This Special Place
The Birnirk Site is very important for understanding history. Because of this, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. These titles help protect the site and its history.
For many years, the items found at the site were kept at Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. But in 2011, these valuable collections were moved. They are now at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks. This move helps keep the artifacts closer to their original home in Alaska.
