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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
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Kobuk Valley National Park
Laws Protect Archeological Sites on Public Lands

Archeological sites are time capsules from the past. They are the keys to understanding ancient activities and sometimes forgotten cultures. Working together, archeologists, people culturally affiliated with the area, and the public can learn a tremendous amount from scientific excavation and analysis of a site. Archeological sites occur all over the country.

When found on federal lands, archeological sites are protected by law. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes it illegal to excavate, damage, remove, sell, or transport any archeological resource, 100 years or older, located on federal public land. Please be a good steward of Alaska’s finite and irreplaceable archaeological legacy when visiting Kobuk Valley National Park. You can help us by reporting site discoveries or disturbances to the park staff in Kotzebue.

Learn More!
Save Alaska's Past: The Archaeological Resource Protect Act (4.6 Mb. PDF)
Two rustic cabins surrounded by trees. The large one sits on the ground and the small one sits on stilts to protect stored food from animals  

Did You Know?
In 1940, archeologist J. Louis Giddings traveled down the Kobuk River on a homemade raft, with three young Native men as guides. They found many ancient house depressions, including one at Onion Portage in Kobuk Valley National Park. The site is now believed to be about 10,000 years old.

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Last Updated: September 11, 2008 at 23:15 EST