The physical culture of the Northwest Coast is based on wood. Though abundant and versatile, wood in the long run is an ephemeral substance, so truly ancient artifacts in Southeast Alaska are few. But today we found one.
Our morning began in Red Bluff Bay, a spectacular gash, glacially carved in the steep flanks of Baranof Island. From there we moved on to the shores of Admiralty Island. In Tlingit this island is aptly named. "Xootsnoowoo" or "Brown Bear Fortress" - it has the densest population of brown bears in the world!
Farther south we came to Kuiu ("Q-U") Island. In Saginaw Bay we went ashore. Here we found limestone cliffs studded with ancient fossils. One cliff bore this remarkable pictograph. The paint is likely hematite, an iron-oxide-containing stone, powdered and fixed with salmon egg oil.
But what does it mean and how long has it been here? The image is sun-like in appearance, but we know of no native stories that relate to this painting. Pictographs often mark the boundary between territories, or places of particularly potent (and dangerous) spiritual power, such as shaman's graves. Since limestone is often cave-studded, the latter seems likely. And the age? Stylistic comparison suggests creation within the last few hundred years. Dating mineral pigments yields only the age of the rock from which the pigment was derived. All we can do is enjoy the beauty and power of this rare artwork, and wonder at its creator's intent.
