hbdlicka] A STEAXGE GROUP OF ESKIMO 319 



or draw formed by a drain flowing from inland to the sea. The 

 Eskimo at Barrow knew nothing about these remains or their people. 



Each of the heaps inclosed what in the excavators opinion was an 

 "igloo" made of driftwood and earth; and all contained evidently 

 undisturbed human skeletons. The total number of bodies of all 

 ages was counted as 83, and they ranged from infants to old people. 

 There were many bird and other skins (for covers and cloth- 

 ing), and numerous utensils. The hair on the bodies was in general 

 " black as a raven." Most of the bodies lay on " beds " of moss or 

 •"ground willows," or rough-hewn boards. There was no indication 

 of any violence or sudden death. The bodies at places were in three 

 levels, one above the other ; but there was but moderate uniformity in 

 the orientation of the bodies. There were found with the burials no 

 traces of dogs (though there were some sled runners), and no 

 metal, glass, pipes, labrets, nets, soapstone lamps or dog harness; but 

 there were bows and arrows, bolas, and ordinary pottery. The cul- 

 tural objects, Doctor Mason wrote me, resemble in a smaller measure 

 those of the older Bering Sea, to a larger extent those of the old 

 northern or " Thule " culture. There were some jadeite axes, indi- 

 cating a direct or indirect contact with Kotzebue Sound and the 

 Kobuk River. 



Some of the bearskin coverings were " as bright and silvery " as 

 the day the bear was killed (Van Valin) ; and the frozen bodies were 

 evidently in a state of preservation approaching that of natural 

 mummies. 



Notwithstanding indications to the contrary, Van Valin reached 

 the opinion that these remains were not those of regular burials, 

 though offering no other definite hypothesis. 



Desiring additional information about this highly interesting find, 

 I wrote to Mr. Brower, who assisted at the excavations, and received 

 the following answer : 



These mounds are from 5 to 8 miles south of the Barrow village (Utkiavik). 

 The largest that were opened were the farthest south, and seemed more like 

 raised lumps on the land than ruins. No doubt that is the reason no one had 

 bothered them. 



The Eskimo have no traditions of these people. In fact they did not even 

 suspect the mounds contained human remains until Mr. Van Valin started to 

 investigate them. 



While Van Valin thought they might be houses, I have always thought they 

 were burial mounds, as there seemed no family to have been together at the 

 time of death as often has happened. When whole families have died from some 

 epidemic, then the man and wife are together under their sleeping skins. In 

 these mounds each party was wrapped separate, either in polar bear or musk 

 ox skins; none were wrapped in deer skins. If male, all his hunting imple- 

 ments were at his side, and if a female her working tools were with her, as 

 scrapers, dishes of wood, and stone knives. The men had their bows, arrows, 



