482 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1950 



Recorded for the summer's work are 225 archeological and ethno- 

 logical sites, plus 8 isolated features : 



Archeological sites: 



2 designated as "M'esolithic" on which the writer found polyhedral 



cores and lamellar flakes. 

 Shunting camp sites. 



1 possible village site on the coast near Point Lay. 



2 historic-contact village sites. 



184 lookout stations where flint chips occurred. 

 Ethnological sites: 



33 recent Eskimo hunting camps. 

 Isolated features: 



4 hunting blinds or windbreaks erected of stone. 

 4 stone deadfall animal traps. 



Most of the lookout stations or chipping stations were situated 

 strategically on bluffs or prominent knobs having a good view of the 

 surrounding country (pi. 2). These stations, including the "Meso- 

 lithic" or Mongolian core sites, were at all times situated within 

 striking distance of caribou trails, and well located at the junctions 

 of watercourses, near passes, on ridges and hills affording unrestricted 

 visibility for fairly long distances. Presumably these were the places 

 where the hunters lay in wait for the caribou. Like their predeces- 

 sors in this region, the prehistoric and historic Eskimos appear to 

 have frequented the same sites and followed the same practices. The 

 all-important man was the lookout. Wlien he sighted the prey and 

 gave the game signal, whole encampments of hunters dropped their 

 tasks and hurried to the chase (Stoney, 1899, pp. 813, 817). 



Indicating that the region is not quite a mammal-less desert today, 

 our party observed several thousand barren-ground caribou moving 

 in large herds on their migratory journeys, over a dozen bears, about 

 20 wolves and foxes, and a few moose. Naturally there were numerous 

 smaller animals seen, such as marmots, ground squirrels, and 

 lemmings. 



At Umiat, I took advantage of an opportunity to brief members of 

 five other Survey parties on the collecting and noting of archeological 

 remains which the parties might encounter during their reconnais- 

 sances. At the close of the season, these geologists presented data on 

 a total of 41 archeological and recent Eskimo sites. Included is ma- 

 terial noted on previous surveys of the north slope. To this figure 

 should be added one additional archeological site discovered by me 

 near Umiat (Solecki, 1950a). This supplemental information gives 

 us quite significant data, limited as it is, concerning historic and 

 recent Eskimo camp sites on 15 of the inland rivers and 4 of the larger 

 inland lakes. 



