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3,000-year-old mask found in Aleutians


Owlscrying

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July 29

Unalaska, Alaska - A whalebone mask discovered at an Alaskan archaeological site was probably broken during an Aleut funeral 3,000 years ago, scientists said.

Mike Yarborough, who heads the dig on Unalaska Island in the Aleutian chain, said the mask is about 2,000 years older than any other to have been found. Only the upper half of the mask was found and it had old cracks in it.

Archaeologists began working on the hillside because a new bridge is to be built there. The dig, has been extended because the site has proved to be much richer than anyone expected.

The village was inhabited at a time when the climate in the Aleutians was much colder and the islands were surrounded by ice year-round. The inhabitants lived in stone houses with under-floor air spaces for heating.

The mask resembles a 1,000-year-old one found on the Alaskan peninsula. Denise Rankin, vice president of the tribal corporation on Unalaska, said the eyes and other features are also familiar to her.

"They look just like an Aleut face," she said.

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Interesting.

The Aleuts are still making these actually.. I have one. I wish there had been a picture, I was wondering how much it looks like my modern day mask.

Mine is also an Aleut face, it's made of whale bone. My ex-husband purchased it (I think) in Adak from one of the Alaska Indians that come out in their little kicker motor boats to the fishing boats and tug boats.

They're actually kinda ugly... here's a picture of one that looks a lot like mine (I think it's in a box somewhere, it also unfortuntately smells bad):

linked-image

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