From Asia to Alaska
Dr. Hrdlicka showed that the
work of the past summer tended
to confirm the generally accepted
belief that man originally found
his way to the American Continent
by way of Alaska from Asia, and
the direct indications are that he
migrated along the route of the
Aleutian Lslands as well as across
, the Bering Straits. Strata of silt
accumulated through many ages
were removed and searched at the
site of the Kodiak Island explora
tion for indications of human resi
dence. The results were very grati
fying to the expedition as many
artifacts showing a considerable
degree of culture by their makers
were recovered. Most of these were
objects such as lamps, utensils,
tools and arrow-heads carved from
granite rock and bone, and a small
er number from ivory.
Evidence Is Found
Indisputable evidence that these
early inhabitants even had some
surgical skill was shown by a skull
recovered by Dr. Hrdlicka on which
a trepanning operation had" been
performed; the growth of new bone
structure showing that the owner
had probably lived for many years
after the operation. One stratum
that was encountered, showed that
in the distant past the region had
had a change in climate covering
* many years during which very little
rain fell, and then for some un
known reason the climate changed
abruptly to the rainy climate that
prevails today and which lower
strata showed had prevailed before
the beginning of the arid period.
The articles recovered by the ex
pedition have been placed on ex
hibition on the main floor of the
National Museum.
