Walakpa Archaeological Salvage Project

Walakpa landscape
Erosion at Walakpa, facing north with the Chukchi Sea to the west.
Excavating Area BE with Laurine, Camille, Barry, Glenys, Ashley, Caelie, Jessie and Dave.
Excavating Area BE with Laurine, Camille, Barry, Glenys, Ashley, Caelie, Jessie and Dave.
Anne Jensen leads a site tour at the slump crevice.
Anne Jensen leads a site tour at the slump crevice.
Barry and Erina recovering small finds from a wet sieve
Barry and Erina recovering small finds from a wet sieve.
Wooden house timbers and frozen ringed seal carcass
Wooden house timbers and frozen ringed seal carcass.
Area C worked walrus tusk with cut marks.
Area C worked walrus tusk with cut marks.
Area C whale effigy made of red chert.
Area C whale effigy made of red chert.

Walakpa Archaeological Salvage Project (WASP)

Location Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska
Research Focus Preserve the Archaeological Heritage of Alaska’s Iñupiat People
Date 2016

In the summer of 2016, an international rescue response was mounted to preserve the rich archaeological heritage of the Iñupiat people of Utqiaġvik, Alaska.

The fieldwork was carried out with a volunteer crew of 27, made up of professional archaeologists, graduate students, advanced undergraduates and local interns with Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) Science. They came from as far away as France, and as close as Barrow. Hunter College anthropology MA students Erina Perez and Barry Gordon were among the volunteers.

Learn how Hunter students participated in an international rescue response to help preserve the archaeological heritage of Alaska’s Iñupiat people.

Read More About the Project