Video: The Appearing and Disappearing Petroglyphs of Cape Alitak

The Cape Alitak Petroglyphs are located at the southern tip of Kodiak Island, Alaska. Large clusters of petroglyphs lay at the entrance to Alitak Bay, on land owned by Akhiok Kaguyak, Inc. and the State of Alaska. They are among the twenty-seven known petroglyph locations in the Kodiak Archipelago. The petroglyphs depict human figures, animal forms, and geometric designs. Some of these locations have hundreds of images. It is believed that the characters represent ancestors, family stories, or perhaps characters from legends. Based on links to nearby village sites, archeologists believe the petroglyphs may be up to 1,500 years old. Cape Alitak is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Watch “The Appearing and Disappearing Petroglyphs of Cape Alitak,” a video presented by the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository and Wondervisions, to learn more about the project. Funding for the vodcast came from the National Park Service Shared Beringian Heritage Program and a Tribal Historic Preservation grant.

Click on the image to watch the video on YouTube.

Learn More:

Rock Art Studies (Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository)

Cross-Cultural Art, a view of the Cape Alitak Petroglyphs (Frontier Scientists)