Page:Archæology of the Central Eskimos.djvu/416
A number of other ruins and finds from Kuk seem to be almost contemporary with III. In the upper group this applies to IV; the find from this is small and does not say much; the occurrence of two flint flakers and several flint blades, in conjunction with the appearance of the ruin, make it probable that it is of the same age as III. This may be said with greater certainty of VIII; the flat harpoon head, the cap-shaped socket piece for a harpoon shaft, the bows of antler, the flint flaker and the cooking pot slabs of limestone and gneiss, bring this find well forward as to period; but there are still objects, such as the ulo handle without tang, which show that we are not yet up to the time of the last extinct Sadlermiut. From its appearance the unexcavated ruin XII in the upper group seems to come under this category too; in the lower group XIX (the flat harpoon head, the arrow head with oblique shaft end) likewise.
And finally we have XXII and XXIII, the two small, new houses right out by the shore; from their appearance and situation they must be the youngest at Kuk; only one implement was left behind: a handsome flint flaker, fairly new in appearance, the most characteristic type of implement of the Sadlermiut, which the inhabitants have left like a visiting card.
In the finds we can thus trace how the first Eskimos who settled at Kuk stood at the Thule culture stage; how, while the Naujan settlement was inhabited, they settled down in the upper house group which then lay at the mouth of the river. One can follow how they began to be influenced by the local surroundings, took flint more. and more into use, developed many special forms of implements and weapons; while the Thule culture still prevailed, the lower house group was built in order to be nearer to the mouth of the river which, as a result of the rising of the land, was steadily advancing further out; but in consequence of the marked conservatism of the Eskimos, the houses in the upper group continued to be inhabited. Connection with the main land was gradually broken off, the reasons for which we will revert to later. Soapstone could no longer be procured for cooking pots and lamps, and lime-stone was used instead; the flint technique improved, new types of implements displaced the old ones and a number of special forms appeared. The population, however, was declining; the last of the inhabitants moved out into the two small houses by the coast. And then the Sadlermiut disappeared from Duke of York Bay; when Parry in 1821 discovered this bay he met no Eskimos, only old traces left behind.
There still remain a few observations to be made regarding the Kuk find and the culture which it represents. No trace of metal has been found, nor glass beads or other things which might indicate