Page:Archæology of the Central Eskimos.djvu/27
metres above s. l., a level grass-grown area, on three sides surrounded by rock, on the fourth bounded by a row of big stones placed on edge (Fig. 4); is this an old place of festival, eating place or the like? It will be seen that there are many circumstances which indicate that the land has risen here. The lowest houses were presumably built when the sea was 8–10 metres higher than it is now; when the uppermost houses were built the sea has probably been one with the lake, which is 13 metres above s. l. Thus we have here a fairly considerable rise; but how long it has taken to accomplish cannot be said as long as the features of the rising of the North American continent are still so little known. Fig. 5 shows the Naujan settlement, seen from the point to the south-west of it; the south end of the lake can just be seen; the dark patches are the excavated soil at the ruins of the houses.
A description of the various house ruins at Naujan will be given in the following; after the description of each house will be added a brief list of the specimens found in it; the more detailed description of the specimens will be made in a special chapter, in which the whole of the settlement find will be described, arranged according to type; it may, however, be of some interest to see the specimens. found together in each of the ruins.
I. Very much fallen in, sunk into ruins and overgrown with grass and moss, so that it only appears as a hollow surrounded by an only Image missingFig. 6.Naujan. House Ruin I. slightly conspicuous earthen mound; two whale bones and a large stone. project out of the turf. The ground plan and size of the house will be seen from Fig. 6. It seems to have had two rooms with a common doorway facing SSE. Was not excavated.
II. Greatly disturbed by Eskimo digging. Fig. 7 shows the ground plan. Doorway facing SSE. In the walls 3 whale skulls and a number of large stones; inside the house 3 other whale skulls. NE. of the door-opening was found an almost obliterated hollow, possibly of another house (perhaps store-room). The inside was greatly disturbed,