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Project 2 >>
In 1996 Mr. Michael Pederson, tribal representative of the Barrow
community, visited Penn Museum as part of the NAGPRA consultation
process. At that time we discussed the possibility of using the
collections from Point Barrow in a series of projects designed to
enhance the overall accessibility and value of the materials to
both the native community and to the Museum.
Much of the Point Barrow collection was made in a systematic fashion
by Edward Avery McIlhenny over the course of 18 months in 1897.
In 1917 and 1929, William Blair Van Valen (a Barrow school teacher),
Arthur Hopson (archaeologist), respectively, added further materials
to this collection. The collection of 1,600 ethnographic items represents
the lifeways of the traditional Barrow community and includes objects
related to fishing and hunting, tools, charms, clothing, etc. In
addition, McIlhenny took copious notes that described the objects
and their fabrication, recording this in the language of the peoples;
in addition (and located in photographic archives) are over 200
photographs of village life. A testament to the meticulous nature
of his work, and in the style of 19th Century natural history, he
also collected the flora and fauna of the area transporting over
600 specimens now curated at the Academy of Natural Sciences in
Philadelphia.
In the same time period, McIhenny and Arthur Hopson recovered the
skeletal remains of approximately 10 individuals from Point Barrow.
In addition, Van Valin excavated 6 frozen houses from the Kugusugaruk
site; approximately 25 skeletons and 475 associated objects (hunting,
fishing and objects of personal adornment) are currently at the
Museum. Very unusual for his time, he collected not only the cranial
materials, but also the postcrania. Due to the extreme climatic
conditions, these materials range from fully skeletonized to partially
mummified materials including cartilage, skin, and hair. Again,
he recorded the location and provenience of the materials in a systematic
fashion. This collection presents the earliest dated skeletons and
associated objects of the most northerly peoples of North America
with an estimated date of between A.D. 500-900.
At the time of Michael Pederson’s visit to Penn Museum a full recording of the skeletons was completed
over a 5-year period and in conjunction with NAGPRA regulations.
The skeletons were fully recorded and initial evaluation of skeletal
pathology described. It was clear that the ancient Barrow peoples
had significant levels of osteoarthritis, and early age onset osteoporosis
in addition to the well known high incidence of non-insulin dependent
diabetes so common among Native Americans (Justice 1989; Lang 1989;
Shapiro 1997; Szathmary 1989, 1994; Wendorf 1989). The skeletons
were photographed but not imaged using either x-rays or CT analysis.
No destructive samples were amassed and no chemical studies performed
as per NAGPRA guidelines for scientific study and testing.
At that time, Mr. Pederson was very interested in scientific testing
and the evaluation of specimens if (and only if) the accumulation
of information on these ancient skeletal specimens was to enhance
the Inupiak understanding of the health status of the living peoples
in that part of the world.
Proposed research projects:
1. Dr. Morrie Kricun and Dr. Janet Monge (project managers)
X-ray and CT analysis of the 35 Barrow skeletal/mummified individuals.
Included in this project is a complete descriptive analysis of the
type and extent of skeletal health/pathology status of these individuals
(see for example, Larsen 1997; Larsen et al. 2001). Results to be
submitted and published with the undergraduate students.
TARGET STUDENTS: Pre-med, public health, anthropology, archaeology
2. Dr. Stuart Fleming and Dr. Janet Monge (project managers)
Stable isotope (O, C and N) and trace element analyses using destructive
sampling of bone and/or dental remains. This type of analysis is
now routine in the study of diet of past populations. More recently,
isotope studies are used in the analysis of past environments by
producing chemical signatures identified in the ancient bone/tooth
of both the humans and animals (Ambrose and Katzenberg 2000; Balasse
2002; Katzenberg and Harrison 1997; Schutkowski and Herrmann 2000;
Bell et al. 2001; Martin 1999; O’Connell et al. 2001; Dupras
and Schwarcz 2001; Fernandez et al. 1999). Heavy mineral analysis
of bone can also reveal recent and ancient differences in the chemical
contamination and composition of the Artic Ocean as determined by
studies on the skeletal tissues as cycled through the Artic biotic
foodweb (Aberg et al. 1998; Nriagu 1983). Results will be submitted
and published with the undergraduate students.
TARGET STUDENTS: Pre-med, ecology, geology, anthropology, archaeology
3. Dr. Robert Preucel and Lucy Fowler-Williams (project managers)
Several projects related to the ethnologic, photographic and linguistic
data.
a. Development of a dictionary of terms related to the fabrication
of various items related to fishing and hunting. Mr. Pederson told
us that many of these terms, recorded by McIlhenny, were actually
lost over the intervening years as interest in the construction
and functional production of the objects fell into disuse and/or
were replaced by more modern equivalents.
b. A photographic and genealogical history of the individuals
and places represented in the photographic archives. This would
include a complete duplication of the photos and other archival
materials to be taken by the student back to Barrow and compared
to the oral history of village representatives and elders.
Results of this work will be presented to the Barrow community;
the publication and/or enhancement of a dictionary of Inupiak words;
description to be presented in the Penn Museum
publication Expedition.
TARGET STUDENTS: Art, art history, anthropology, linguistics
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