Alaska -- Antiquities; Eskimos; Eskimos -- Anthropometry; Indians of North America -- Alaska; Indians of North America -- Yukon
On the other hand, a strong suggestion of similarity to these
dishes is presented by some undecorated large stone lamps from Alaska,
and by a class of pottery bowls with a human figure perched on the
rim at one end from some of the Arkansas mounds, Mexico, and farther
southward. (See Mason, J. A. A remarkable stone lamp from Alaska. The
Museum Jour., Phila., 1928, 170-194.)
_Copper mask._--Shortly before leaving Juneau I became acquainted with
Mr. Robert Simpson, manager of the "Nugget" curio shop, and found in
his possession a number of interesting specimens made in the past by
the Tlingit Indians. An outstanding piece was an old copper mask, which
was purchased for the National Museum. Mr. Simpson obtained it years
ago from a native of Yakutat and stored it with native furs and other
articles of value. It originally belonged to a shaman of the Yakutat
tribe and was said to have been worn by him in sacrificial slave
killings, the shaman with the mask representing some mythical being. It
is an exceedingly good and rare piece of native workmanship.
_Copper "shield."_--Another interesting article secured from Mr.
Simpson is a large old shieldlike plate of beaten copper, decorated on
one side with a characteristic Tlingit engraved design. Mr. Simpson,
in a letter to Doctor Hough, dated June 26, 1926, says: "The shield,
or to speak more correctly the copper plate--for it was not used as a
shield--was the most valuable possession of the Tlingits. They were
usually valued in slaves, this one, at the last known exchange, having
been traded for three slaves. The possessor of four or five such plates
was a man of the utmost wealth. Some claim that they got these copper
plates from the early New England traders and others that they came
from the Copper River. Either is possible. Lots of the Copper River
nuggets were very large and flat and could have readily been hammered
into plate form. I bought this in the village of Klawak on the west
coast of Prince of Wales Island. I do not know of another one around
here. All of the local elderly natives are familiar with its previous
value, and when they have wandered into my shop to sell things they
always made deep obeisance to this plate."
_Talks._--While in Juneau the writer spoke before the Rotarians, who
honored him with a lunch; and later, in the auditorium of the fine new
high school, gave a public lecture on "The Peopling of America," etc.
The object of these and the many subsequent talks in Alaska was, on
the one hand, to reciprocate as far as possible the kindness and help
received on all sides, and on the other to leave wholesome information
and stimulus in things anthropological. The audience was invariably
all that a lecturer could desire, and many were left everywhere eager
for help and cooperation. The aid of some of these men, including
prospectors, miners, settlers, engineers, foresters, and various
officials, may some day prove of much value in the search for Alaskan
antiquities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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