Page:Archæology of the Central Eskimos.djvu/226

Mitimatalik is the name of the locality at Ponds Inlet where the Hudson's Bay Company and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have their stations; about half a kilometre from the police station a stream has cut a deep cleft in the 40–50 metre high gravel terraces of the country; at the mouth of the stream the cleft widens out and, on both sides of this part, there is a terrace 10 metres high which falls steeply, partly towards the sea and partly towards the valley.

On the terrace, west of the stream, about 8 metres above sea level, is a house ruin, fairly large, but entirely overgrown and levelled out; it was this that was excavated. Near it, but right out by the cliff, about 6 metres above the sea, lie the remains of another house ruin, of which however only the rear part is preserved, whilst the remainder has fallen down owing to the erosion of the sea; in the parts of the house that had fallen several animal bones were found and one implement. On the east side of the stream, on the edge of the cliff, about 8 metres above the sea, lie two autumn houses; the one furthest to the west seems to have been built by re-erecting an old house ruin, judging by the thickness of the walls, the massive construction of the house and some old objects which projected from the walls; the other, more to the east, seems to be a comparatively new autumn house which has scarcely ever been a winter house; it was excavated and the objects found will be referred to later.

Fig. 40 shows the house ruin at Mitimatalik before excavation;