Searching for Archaeological Sites

Keep an eye peeled for worked stones or other signs of former human habitation when out walking or digging in the ground. Most likely are ridges or other high ground that has not been worked over by rivers or undergone downslope creep.

Archaeological sites are hard to find in interior Alaska, so few are known. Yet this is an exciting archaeological area; new finds may help unravel the mysteries of early man's passages between Asia and North America.

If you think you may have found a site, notify the University of Alaska Museum, the State Department of Parks or the Department of Interior. The site can be irreparably damaged if not excavated by expert archaeologists. To help preserve such sites, both the federal and state governments have made it illegal to remove archaeological materials except by special permit. These rulings should not deter one's searches for sites. Finding one and reporting it can be a real contribution to our knowledge of the past.