I remember one day I was looking for some cool historical stuff to dive into, and I stumbled upon the Alutiiq petroglyphs. I was like, “What’s this all about?” So, I started digging around. These petroglyphs, man, they’re like ancient graffiti carved into rocks, mostly found in Alaska.
First thing I did was check out this series of videos called “The Cape Alitak Petroglyphs”. I watched these videos and, boy, they took me on a journey through Alutiiq heritage. They explained how these carvings are tied to the history of Kodiak Island. I was pretty hooked at this point, I’ve gotta tell ya.
So, I kept going. I found out that the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, Alaska, is like the hotspot for this stuff. They’ve got tons of artifacts, photos, and all sorts of pieces that show off 7,500 years of Alutiiq culture. I even saw that they got a $42,000 grant from the US Bureau of Indian Affairs – that’s some serious dough for preserving history. I made a mental note to visit this place someday. It’s at 215 Mission Rd, Kodiak, you know, just in case I ever find myself in Alaska.
I then learned that these petroglyphs are kinda rare in Alaska, except for Southeast Alaska, where the Lingtof people made similar carvings. What blew my mind was that these carvings are often near salmon streams, not just old village sites. That’s like leaving your mark where the food is, right? Smart move, ancient folks.
I also got into this rabbit hole about Petroglyph Beach in Wrangell. This place has the most petroglyphs in the southeast region of Alaska. It’s a State Historic Park, and at least 40 of these carvings have been found there. The site is about 8,000 years old. I was scribbling all this down in my notebook, feeling like a real explorer.
Then, I watched a film, “Who Are We”, directed by Josh Branstetter and produced by the Alutiiq Museum. This film explores what it means to be an Alutiiq/Sugpiaq person in the 21st century. It had interviews, old photos – the whole shebang. It really got me thinking about identity and how it evolves over time.
Through this whole process, I used my trusty camera, a Sony Alpha-A6300, to document everything I found interesting. I even found some old files on the Internet Archive, which was like striking gold for a history buff like me.
The most exciting part was when I read about the Alutiiq Museum archaeologists finding a stone fish trap and some related petroglyphs on northern Kodiak Island. They’re still figuring out all the details, but it’s discoveries like these that make history come alive.
So, that’s my adventure with the Alutiiq petroglyphs. It was a wild ride from watching videos to practically planning a trip to Alaska. I learned a ton, and it just goes to show how much history is out there, waiting to be explored. You never know what you’ll find when you start digging!
