As excavations at Nunalleq begin for another year, staff and students will keep you updated with all the news and exciting finds from the site.
The University of Aberdeen Department of Archaeology, in partnership with the village corporation Qanirtuuq, Inc. and the Yup’ik Eskimo village of Quinhagak, is working to record archaeological sites threatened by rising sea levels along the Bering Sea.
Continuing on from excavations in 2009 and 2010, the 2012 field season we will focus on excavation of the Nunalleq Site, a late prehistoric village with exceptionally well-preserved organic remains. Data from the site will be important to our understanding of past climate change.
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is an area three times the size of Scotland, yet its prehistory remains very poorly known. Our excavation at the Nunalleq site is the largest ever done in the area and the material we recover will give us the first detailed look at the prehistory of this very significant culture area.
Artefacts and features at the Nunalleq site are spectacular and abundant. The combination of permafrost and moist soil conditions have preserved wood, fur, bark, claws and other organic materials and are giving us an remarkably clear view of prehistoric Yup’ik culture.
Check out the progress of the excavation, get regular updates from staff and students, and see sneaky pics of freshly unearthed finds on our new online blog!