Incised Slate Figurines from Kodiak Island, Alaska

• Published in: American Antiquity
• Main Author: Heizer, Robert F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1952
• Subjects: Museology; Archeology; Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous); History; Kodiak; Uyak; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/276373; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0002731600009641

In a brief article on the Cape Alitak petroglyphs of Kodiak Island (Heizer, 1947), two incised slate tablets were shown and analyzed with the intent to suggest a relationship in the treatment of the face on the slate pieces and the pecked petroglyphs. The two flat incised slate pieces referred to above came from the Uyak Bay site excavated by A. Hrdlicka in 1931-1938. No similar specimens had been published, and so far as could be determined, they were unique examples of incised art. Recently Mr. Donald Clark of Kodiak City kindly sent to me for inspection a series of 25 closely similar slate pieces, of which 17 are shown in Fig. 90. They range in thickness from 2 to 6 mm., and are variable in outline. Some are incised on both surfaces, but the majority have the lightly incised lines only on one face. They are made of natural flat slate beach pebbles which can be found all over the island. The pieces shown here are from the vicinity of Kodiak City.