Alaska Archaeology Month Poster - 2019

Wood

For thousands of years, Alaskans have been carving out their story.

Though wood resources across Alaska's ecosystems varied, cultures found a way to get this versatile raw material, even if it drifted in from the ocean. Peole used it to shape the objects that touched every aspect of their lives, from everyday activities like eating to special rituals and sacred moments like masked dancing, drumming, and honoring ancestors.

In the southeast, where cedars towered, totem poles and large wood plank lodges were possible. In the far north, where only shrubby willow and dwarf birch could survive, and along the treeless Aleutian archipelago, even smaller objects like spear shafts sometimes had to be stitched together from fragments of wood.

Ancient Alaskans were attuned to the attributes of wood and each part of the tree was mined for its particular properties. The curve between trunk and root was essential for the bow of a boat and made sturdy adze handles. The straight wood of the lower trunk was good for bows and arrows and split cleanly into planks. Bark became light and watertight containers. Root fibers wove ritual hats. Gnarls and knots formed features on masks and burls became bowls and ladles. An abundance of woodworking tools like adzes, mauls, chisels, splitting wedges, and even fire, were used for cutting, sanding, shaving, whittling, bending, and steaming, taking full advantage of wood's malleable character. But more than just shaped for utility, wood's plastic nature allowed for personalization: drum handles curved to fit a particular hand, or a whale carved into the bottom of a boat seat to honor the animal below.

About Archaeology Month Posters

The archaeological heritage of 42 states is celebrated each year during their respective archaeology months or weeks. April is Archaeology Month in Alaska, by proclamation of the governor. Educational posters are produced by each state to promote awareness of the value of archaeology and archaeological resources. Posters are sent to schools, libraries, agencies, and institutions throughout the state.

Production of the annual Alaska Archaeology Month poster is coordinated by the Alaska Anthropological Association’s Public Education Group. Sponsors include the National Park Service, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation, Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Land Management, University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Anthropology, the Alaska Office of History and Archaeology, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Cultural Resources Division. You can find out how to get a copy or download an image from the Alaska Anthropological Association's website.