56 Alaskan Science Conference 



ors. Dr. Laughlin, whose knowledge of the Aleutians is exten- 

 sive, has suggested that the assistance of the Coast Guard be 

 enlisted. Since their vessels visit many of the isolated settlements 

 on the Aleutians and along the shores of Bering Sea, they could 

 keep an eye on some of the important sites without too much 

 difficulty, and the knowledge of their vigilance would act as a 

 salutary deterrent. Certainly the commanding officers at mili- 

 tary establishments should be made aware of the Antiquities 

 Act and of their responsibilities in preventing its violation by 

 their men and by the civilian employees at their bases. It is 

 possible, however, that an amendment of the Act might be 

 necessary to secure effective action by officers of the Coast Guard, 

 the Air Force and the Navy. The interests of the Eskimos might 

 advantageously be recognized by adopting a procedure followed 

 in Denmark, that is, of exempting from the provisions of the 

 law some sites, already so damaged that they possess little or no 

 scientific value, and officially opening these for native exploita- 

 tion of fossil ivory. In addition, a new source of income should 

 be encouraged to take the place of work in ivory, such as the 

 making of wooden toys or artistic carving of slate. Where actual 

 construction work threatens to destroy archaeological remains 

 it is surely the duty of the government agencies responsible for 

 the construction to make every effort to salvage as much data 

 as possible, although we realize that military urgency even in 

 peacetime may not give sufficient time and there may be no 

 funds to secure the services of an archaeologist. Still, the princi- 

 ple ought to be recognized. 



Lastly, we should not suppose that all damage has been due to 

 violation of the law. There have been a number of unfortunate 

 cases in which permits to excavate have been granted to institu- 

 tions which sponsored the activities of men who posed as 

 archaeologists but who lacked the training and sense of responsi- 

 bility of the profession, or to institutions that sent out expedi- 

 tions that did some archaeological collecting on the side without 

 having even a nominal archaeologist in the party, though the 

 members might be qualified scientists in other fields. 



