58 ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY IN ALASKA [ETH. axs. «g 



seen to be of volcanic stone, near basalt, not granite, with indication 

 of minerals. Passing close to vertical cliffs of fissured and frag- 

 mented rocks 200 to 500 feet high — dangerous. Consolidated vol- 

 canic ashes with inclosure of many bowlders — fine lessons in geology. 

 Slides of soil and vegetation here and there. Large spruces and 

 altogether a richer vegetation since this particular rock region was 

 reached. There was in fact a plain line of demarcation in the vegeta- 

 tion where the rocks changed. 



Sleepy. Afraid to doze and fall off, so go inside. But there the 

 motor thumps and shakes too much for a nap to be possible. 



About 12 miles upstream from Anvik, on the north bank, the min- 

 eralized rocks and tufa suddenly cease, to be superseded by a line, 

 several miles long, of sheared-off loess bluffs about 200 feet high. 

 Here the vegetation changes very perceptibly. Two mammoth jaws 

 obtained from these deposits have a few years ago been given to Mr. 

 Gilmore. of the United States National Museum. 



22 to 23 miles up the river, north bank, a fine large platform and an 

 old native site. Many signs still of pit and tunnel houses. A little 

 farther upstream a hill with abandoned burials. Excavate a grave 

 on a promontory over the river — not very old — wet and not much 

 left of soft parts, but succeed in getting the skeleton. Fine middle- 

 aged adult, somewhat Eskimoid, about typical for this region. 

 Carry clown in a bag, dry on the beach gravel. Lunch on beach; 

 cheese, bread, coffee. The site is known as that of the Greyling River. 

 (PL 2, b.) 



Start back a little after 3. Very warm day. River smooth. Sky 

 looks like there might be a storm later. 



Hear of pottery — 40 years ago it was still made at Anvik. Was 

 black, of poor quality. The women used to put feathers in the clay 

 " to make the pots stronger." When buried it soon rotted and fell 

 to pieces. In shapes and otherwise it was much like the Eskimo 

 pottery. Its decorations consisted of nail or other impressions, in 

 simple geometrical designs, particularly about the rim. It was 

 rather gross, but better pieces did occur, though rarely. 



It is becoming plain that there are no known traces of any really 

 old settlements along the present banks of the Yukon; nothing be- 

 yond a few hundred years at most. If there was anything older no 

 external signs of it have been noted, and no objects of it have ever 

 been found. It seems certain that the stone implements thus far seen 

 were used and made by the pre-Russian and probably even later 

 Indians. They all belong to the polished-stone variety. No " paleo- 

 lithic " type of instrument has yet been seen. 



If is also evident that the Eskimo admixture and doubtless also cul- 

 tural influence extended far up the river. The farther down the 



