1985 ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, RAT ISLANDS BY EV AI~ KLETT

FWLB

1418 LIRR.A.io~Y 1985 USFWS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, RAT ISLANDS

BY

EVAN KLETT

U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS UNIT, MARITIHE NATIONAL IVILDLIFE REFUGE

BOX 5251

FPO SEATTLE, WA 98791

SEPTEMBER 20, 1985 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT memorandum DATE: September 20, 1985

REPLYTD ATTN OF: Refuge Manager, AIU-AMNWR, Adak, AK

/ su~E~= Archaeological Resources - AIU .

TO• Refuge t•lanager, AMNI'7R, Homer V~

We have been tasked by an AWP advice to "identify and document refuge special values (cultural, scenic, ecological, wilderness, geologic, etc.)". During the period 26 May to 28 June, ARM Klett was involved in checking for arctic fox on Rat Island and conducting Aleutian Canada goose population/nesting surveys on Island. While accomplishing these projects, ARM Klett located and photographed six village sites that are not listed in the Aleutian Island Wilderness Report (P. Sekora, 1973), the Cultural Resources of the Aleutian Region, Vol.II (Gary c. Stein, 1977) or shown as Aleut village/cemetary sites/14 (h) (1) selections on recent u. s. Fish and Wildlife Service land status maps. One site is on Rat Island and the other five. are on Agattu Island (see attached maps). The general descriptions of each site are as follow: 1. Rat Island, site 11. Some 20 house pits of varying size (three to ten feet), primarily oval in shape. The bot­ toms of most of the pits were vegetat~d, but bird/mammal/ fish bones were observed in several. The site is atop a 75 foot cliff. 2. Agattu Island, site #1. A large site, just above the beach, measuring approximately 350 feet long by 200 feet wide. It is bisected by two small intermittent streams. The site contains 27 visible house pits. Most appeared to be round in shape, six to 10 feet in diameter. Four of the pits had fragments of large whale ribs or lower jaw bone around their perimeter. The terrain profile is .composed of narrow layers of rock, up to five inches thick, under a layer of soil. The house pits were dug into these layers, consequently the ground is covered with rock chips/fragments. Bone remains were scarce. A portion of a human lower jaw was found on top of the ground mixed in with other debris.

OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 (REV. 1-80) GSA FPMR (41 CFR) 101·1 1 ..!1 1010.114 * GPO : 191!1 0 - 341-5Z6 (6304) 3. Site #2. A small site, 100 to 150 feet in diameter, atop a 250 foot cliff. The site contains about ten round house pits. Two are some ten feet in diameter with the others ranging down to four feet in diameter. Two pits had large whale bone fragments along the top edge and one pit had small bones on the bottom.

4. Site #3. A large site, more or less round in shape, about 300 feet in diameter. The site is located on a plateau some 50 to 100 feet above a rocky beach at the head of a small, well sheltered cove. Vegetation was quite thick. Approximately 14 house pits were recorded. Some were quite large, ten by 12 feet, with none smaller than four by five feet. The bottoms of most pits con­ tained a large number of bones.

5. Site #4. A small site containing not over six to eight house pits. The site was photographed but not visited.

6. Site #5. A large site located above a cobble beach and bisected by a large free flowing stream. The entire site was photographed and a visual inspection was made of that portion on the east side of the creek. This site measured approximately 250 feet long by 200 feet wide. The west portion appeared to be smaller in size. Both areas were heavily vegetated and very few bone/rock fragments were observed. Nine house pits were located, most of them round in shape, five to ten feet in diameter; however, two were rectangular. One measured about 34 feet by 21 feet and the other one some 48 feet by 27 feet.

Selected photographs of each site are attached.

Attachments

EVK/mag 10 33 46 41

ICOVM'I J •

Kolp 19 Z3 13

12 ·

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tO:

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14 18

18 f) 0Y 17

I~ 24

19 17

28 32

SBQI 58Q4

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15 ' SITE PHOTOGRAPHS

Rat Island - Site #1

Agattu Island - Site #1 General overview. Agattu Island - Site #1 House pits. Pit in foreground had whale rib bones around perimeter.

Agattu Island - Site #1 Bottom of house pit with bone and rock fragments.

2 Agattu Island - Site #1 House pit with rock fragments.

Agattu Island - Site #1 Part of human jaw.

3 Agattu Island - Site #2 Several house pits, note almost vertical wall.

Agattu Island - Site #2 Bone fragments in bottom of house pit.

4 Agattu Island - Site #3 Overview of site.

Agattu Island - Site #3 ~ihale rib on side of house pit.

5 Agattu Island - Site #3 Bones of Bottom of house pit .

Agattu Island - Site #4 Overview of site .

6 Agattu Island - Site #5 Overview of site. Note people near mouth of creek.

Agattu Island - Site #5 Note house pits in both segments of the site.

7 Agattu Island - Site #5 The largest house pit. Note thick vegetation.

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