Gr 6 Reading Level

1. A dig in Alaska reveals treasure trove of
centuries-old wooden artifacts
By Anchorage Daily News, adapted by Newsela staff on 09.10.13
Word Count 949
An ulu handle with the image of a wolf-like beast on either end was uncovered at a dig site south of Quinhagak, Alaska, on
the Bering Sea. It would have held a semi-lunar blade of ground slate. Photo: Photo courtesy Department of Archaeology
of the University of Aberdeen/MCT
ANCHORAGE — Some unfamiliar items washed up on the beach near the village of
Quinhagak in Western Alaska about five years ago. The curiosities were native to the area,
with designs similar to those found in the Yup’ik Eskimo culture of the region. They were
wood, a material that usually decays after several years.
But they were also old. The mystery was where these items came from and why they were
in such good condition.
Warren Jones is the general manager of Qanirtuuq Inc., a company which runs a grocery
store in Quinhagak. Jones took some photographs and sent them to Professor Rick
Knecht, who is considered an expert in anthropology, the history of human beings.
Knecht used to work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He is now employed by the
University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He also helped establish museums on the history of
Eskimos in Kodiak and Unalaska.

2. Unearthing An Archaeological Treasure
The professor was working on a project on Nunivak Island in Central Alaska when he heard
from Jones. Knecht dropped by Quinhagak to look at the artifacts.
After examining the items, Knecht said they were produced in the years long before contact
between the Yup’ik Eskimos and Europeans in the 1800s. The professor toured the area
and talked to Jones about the possibility of doing a dig together.
As a result of this discussion, Jones's company and Knecht's university started working
together. So far, they have uncovered a huge trove of archaeological treasure.
“This is easily the largest collection of pre-contact Yup’ik material anywhere,” Knecht said.
He has found thousands of items that date from between 1350 and 1670.
Some of the most important pieces from previous digs are now on display at the King’s
Museum in Aberdeen. The exhibit is titled “Nunalleq,” which means “the old village” in the
Yup’ik language.
New Discoveries Every Day
Teams of international volunteers are working with local residents to uncover more
historical items. They have found 8,000 more artifacts. There must be many more
fragments still in the ground, all containing information about life in the area centuries ago.
And it seems like every day new and eye-popping tools or decorative items are retrieved
from the ground.
There are carvings, weapons, woven grass, clothing, dolls, even haircut trimmings from
inhabitants who lived there hundreds of years ago. “We found some amazing pieces on
Saturday,” Knecht said recently. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The first small test holes were dug in 2009 at about six feet across. But the researchers
found so much in the ground that they know the area had been occupied for a long, long
time. They also think that the settlement had 200 to 300 residents.
Ever since then, the dig has expanded every year. In August, between 15 and 20
volunteers from all around the world joined Quinhagak residents in a “field school.” They
are now excavating the site which now stretches for about 150 yards.
Knecht is excited by what the team has found. They have discovered a huge amount of
items. More importantly, the findings have been of very good quality, and many are rare.
Preservation "Just Marvelous"
The professor explained that because the ground has been frozen the whole time, the
artifacts are in excellent shape. “Because it’s been in permafrost up until now, the level of
preservation is just marvelous,” Knecht said.

3. About 80 percent of the findings are wood or other natural materials which would usually
have decayed by now. But here the team is even finding wood items with their original
paint. It was like looking at "new wood" rather than material that had been buried for
hundreds of years.
This is extremely important for research because at one time a large amount of the things
used by the Yup’ik people were made from wood. The excavators have found whole
wooden masks, bowls, bows, arrows and spears.
The group discovered "scraps of sealskin clothing with original needle holes." Animal fur,
little bodies of insects, and even a frozen mouse were also found, according to Knecht. The
team dug up grass baskets that were still a little bit green.
The team discovered delicate ropes that were made of grass and roots. It's rare to find
items like this because usually they would have rotted away many years ago.
Digging In The Nick Of Time
The crew also found stone tools and clay pots. The Yup’ik stopped making them soon after
contact with the Europeans. But even these long lasting items are not well recorded in this
region. The area is called the Yukon-Kuskokwim, which lies several hundred miles west of
Anchorage.
“There are very few archaeological projects in this area, which is about the size of Great
Britain,” Knecht said. Little is known about how people lived in this part of Alaska hundreds
of years ago. As a result, every item that the researchers find shows a bit more about the
history of the Yup’ik Eskimos.
Knecht thinks the old village was a winter gathering place on the Arolik River. It was
abandoned after the river shifted. This part of the world is famous for its moving landscape,
which is constantly rearranged by rivers and ocean currents.
“Most of (the site) may have been washed away already,” Knecht said. “We may just be
looking at a portion of it. Maybe a quarter of the original site is left — and it’s going fast.”
The ocean has already taken out the original dig site, he pointed out.
“If we hadn’t done the work we did in 2009, 2010, everything, about 8,000 pieces, would
have been lost. We’re just barely staying ahead of it. It’s kind of an emergency,” he said.
Quiz
1 What led to the preservation of the artifacts?
(A) the shifting of the river
(B) the ground being frozen
(C) the emergency dig in 2009
(D) the Yup'ik's care for belongings

4. 2 What event led to the cooperation between Qanirtuuq Inc. and the university?
(A) the discovery of thousands of ancient artifacts
(B) a conversation between Warren Jones and Rick Knecht
(C) an excavating project on Nunivak Island in Central Alaska
(D) the ocean tide of the Arolik river causing rearranging of landscapes
3 Select the paragraph from the article that states the reason why the Yup'ik people abandoned
the Arolik River.
4 What is the general tone of this article?
(A) doubtful
(B) enthusiastic
(C) humorous
(D) serious