The Petroglyphs of Southeastern Alaska

• Published in: American Antiquity
• Main Author: Keithahn, E. L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1940
• Subjects: Museology; Archeology; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous); History; Prince of Wales Island; haida; tlingit; Tsimshian; Tsimshian*; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/275831; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S000273160003609X

The Tlingit Indians occupy all of Southeastern Alaska from Dixon's Entrance to Cape St. Elias except the southern half of Prince of Wales Island, which is Haida, and Annette Island, which is a Tsimshian reservation. Formerly all of this region was Tlingit. Throughout this entire district and extending into the southern half of the Northwest Coast culture area, petroglyphs abound. These inscriptions in their simpler forms have much in common with those of widely separated regions of the earth. There are simple cups, rings, spirals, concentric circles, etc. But the typical petroglyphs of this area are as original as the well-known decorative art of the Northwest Coast and apparently closely affiliated with it in both form and meaning. It is the goal of this article to present tangible evidence that these petroglyphs originated from (a) natural effects and (b) depressions worn in rock in the process of tool-making.