Page:Material Culture of the Iglulik Eskimos.djvu/157

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Image missingFig. 86.Sleeping rug. cavated at Qilalukan and provides further confirmation of the supposed use of these.

How many layers of caribou skin are laid upon the platform depends upon how many they have; the usual number is three, of which the one underneath, which is most exposed to damp, is poor skin with the hair downwards. The top layer, which serves as a bed for the naked body, consists of the best skins.

To cover them at night they use rugs of caribou skin (qeipik). Fig. 86 (Iglulik) is one of these sleeping rugs. It is sewn together of three long pieces which narrow towards the foot end; on this specimen the middle portion is increased in width by a fourth piece, and between the two side pieces several smaller pieces have been inserted and form the bottom of the rug. When folded, the rug is shaped like a sleeping bag, cut open in one side nearly to the bottom; the hair-side is turned inwards. The top edge is closely trimmed with hairy caribou skin fringe, about 15 cm long, and it is

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